oh the wind got in the way this sunday to performance by Laura Silva and José Sousawhat were the best portuguese athletes of the 19th edition of the Porto marathon, finishing in fourth and ninth place in females and males, respectively.
“Finish [a prova] It is an honor, and being the first Portuguese is an added pride. The conditions were super difficult and [havia] A lot of wind, but I ran with my heart. I ran my second marathon and I am happy to finish well,” she told journalists Laura Silva, from São Salvador do Campo, after crossing the finish line located in Queimódromo.
The athlete39 years, repeated the fourth position achieved in 2022 and established a new personal record of 2:45.51 hours, having finished the 42.195 kilometer route behind the Ethiopians Tejitu Siyum Almayehu, who won notably, with 2:32.06, and Sinke Dessie, second, with 2: 36.17, and the Kenyan Mildred Chepkemei, third, with 2:44.33.
“If the wind delayed the plans? Quite a bit. I run against the wind a little, but it was for everyone. We were all on equal terms and I think finishing the marathon is a victory for any athlete who is here.” “I think for everyone. The trip was difficult, to be honest. I tried to protect myself when I could, but the wind came from the side or from the front,” admitted Laura Silva, excited to have finished the race hand in hand with her daughter.
Had the same impression José Sousa, who came in ninth placewith 2:19.17 hours, and was once again the best Portuguese in the men’s sector of the race, as already happened in 2018 and 2022.
“It was a well-managed race. I had to do the race with my partner Carlos Costa, but it was very windy in the final part. It went well and now it’s time to recover,” highlighted the also São Salvador do Campo athlete, ruling out having come ” run for time.”
He was crowned national distance champion in October, José Sousa finished 5.40 minutes behind the winnerKenyan Emmanuel Kemboi, after his recent races in the Lisbon and Berlin marathons, where he established a personal record of 2:14.49 hours.
“It was very difficult for all the athletes. The Porto marathon is a race that I will never forget, especially because the first marathon I did was here, in 2018. The course is better this year, but what made it difficult for us was the wind,” said the 34-year-old runner.
The event revived this year’s visit to Vila Nova de Gaiawho was prevented from doing so in 2021 and 2022 and limited the route between Porto and Matosinhosdue to works on the lower deck of the D. Luís I Bridge, while The Covid-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 edition.
The marathon began next to Sea Life, on the Castelo do Queijo route, in parallel with a 10,000 meter solidarity race – in which Miguel Borges (35.41 minutes), from Sporting de Braga, in the men’s category, and Rafaela won Fonseca (40.46). . , from RD Águeda, for women – and a six-kilometer walk, without competitive purposes or age limits.
The three races ended at Queimódromo and included around 12,500 participants, of 71 nationalities, of which approximately 7,000 competed in the Olympic distance.
Source: TSF
