The 24-year-old Rahma Tusa continued her flying form this season. She built up a comfortable lead after midway and trimmed more than two minutes from her personal best to wrap up the third marathon title of her career in 2:25:12. Rahma’s winning mark also beat the course record of 2:26:46 set by countrywoman Mulu Seboka when the race was first launched back in 2012.
It was Rahma’s third marathon in 2017. She arrived in Guangzhou with high spirits after successfully defending her title at the Rome Marathon in April and meanwhile improving her career best by 88 seconds to 2:27:21. She also finished third at the Beijing Marathon in 2:33:22 three months ago and more recently renewed her half marathon PB to 1:08:28 with victory in Boulogne-Billancourt.
Sifan Melaku, also from Ethiopia, cut more than six minutes from her PB to finish second in 2:31:21. The 20-year-old only began competing over the classic distance in February. It was just her third race and the first time for Sifan to step onto the podium.
Gebeyanesh Ayele, the 13th finisher at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, clocked 2:32:25 in what was only her second marathon to date to complete the podium sweep for Ethiopia. The 22-year-old celebrated her marathon debut in Xiamen in January with a 2:34:07 clocking and two months ago she took the victory at the 20 Kilometers de Paris.