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Kenya’s Paralympic distance runner Jonah Kipkemoi Chesum was the surprise winner of the Barcelona marathon in Spain, crossing the line in 2:08:57 in his first ever race over the 26.2mile distance. Chesum had started his debut marathon as one of three pacemakers, but just after the 30km mark he realised a winning performance was on the cards as the favourite, Ethiopian Sisay Jisa Mekonnen, dropped out injured.
The 27-year-old stretched the field, and by the time the finish line approached he had established a significant lead, taking the tape nearly 30 seconds clear of his compatriot Jacob Kurui, another of the pacemakers, who finished second in 2:09.24. At the London Paralympic Games in 2012 he competed in the 800m and 1,500m T46, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
