The first Ibiza Marathon record has been set by Stephen Kiplimo, who crossed the finish line of this 42,195 metre race in 02:19:01 and won the race. The Kenyan athlete was followed by the Moroccan Hassane Ahouchar who finished in 02:30:56 and Toni Marí Colomar who came in third in 02:41:04. As for the women’s race, Sally Jemutai Kimaiyo set the race record in 02:52:50. The podium was also mounted by Pilar Mahamud Isidro, who was the runner-up in 3:16:08, and Daniela Viccari, who came in third finishing in 3:29:57.
The predictions have turned out to be correct in this new and unique running event. The 31-year-old athlete Kiplimo was outside of his personal best –02:12:51 in the 2015 Lódz Marathon– but as one of the favourite runners he has fulfilled the overall objective of the first Ibiza Marathon: running this special race course, which is combines urban and rural environments, under two hours twenty minutes. As for the 32-year-old Kenyan athlete Kimaiyo, she hasn’t reached her personal best either –02:40:50– but she has set the bar high for the runners of future editions, leaving the runner-up behind by more than twenty minutes.
The local runner Toni Marí Colomar, whose nickname is Toni Buitre, took everyone by surprise and retained his crown of best marathoner in Ibiza. He came in third in the overall ranking of the Ibiza Marathon. With regard to the Ibiza 12K, the young Moroccan Anass Bourass, who is also a well-known runner in the island, won the race and completed the 12,000 metre race course in 00:39:20. The women’s race was headed by Ilaria Tersigniha, who set the race course record in 00:49:08.
The first edition of the Ibiza Marathon has finished this way, with more than 700 registered runners in the 42,195 metre race and more than 1,200 participants in the Ibiza 12K. Therefore, around 2,000 runners, both from Spain and abroad, have taken over the island in the afternoon of Saturday the 8th of April to enjoy the #RunAndFeel experience in which a large number of citizens have also participated. The people from Ibiza have been supporting this event by volunteering and by going out to the streets to cheer on the participants and watch them run.
The members of the consulting firm Talentum Group, which organizes the Ibiza Marathon and Ibiza 12K, and the representatives of the Town Hall of Santa Eulària des Riu, the City Hall of Ibiza and the Consell, which is the regional parliament, have welcomed this new sports project that aims at reaching the full sports potential of the island. With this initiative, the area will start the high season earlier in spring and attract quality tourism. Hence, they are all looking forward to participating in the second edition which will take place on these dates in 2018.