SAN DIEGO (AP) — Terfa Negari of Kenya won the men’s Rock ‘n Roll Marathon on Sunday and Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia took the women’s event.
Negari pulled away at mile 19 to breeze to victory in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 18 seconds, kissing the ground after winning his first title at 26.2 miles in his San Diego debut. Tesfaye Sendeku of Ethiopia was second in 2:12:23. Gilbert Chepkwony of Kenya was third in 2:12:50.
Luke Humphrey of Rochester Hill, Mich., was the first American finisher, crossing fifth in 2:14:39.
Deba had won five of her seven previous marathons, including the L.A. Marathon earlier this year. She set a personal record of 2:23:31 in her Rock ‘n’ Roll debut, beating fellow Ethiopian Misiker Mekonnen, who finished in 2:25:21.
