PARIS - Ethiopians put an excellent performance yesterday in this year's Paris Marathon outsmarting a fierce challenge from the Kenyans.

PARIS - Ethiopians put an excellent performance yesterday in this year's Paris Marathon outsmarting a fierce challenge from the Kenyans.

Tadesse Tola and Atsede Baysa won the 34th Paris marathon yesterday.

This was Tola's second marathon in which the 22-year-old Tola was the first male runner home in just two hours and six minutes. He finished ahead of Kenyans Alfred Kering and Wilson Kipsang.

Tola left the chasing pack behind four kilometres from the finish line in the race run around the streets of central Paris.

"It's really satisfying for my second marathon," said Tola, whose previous outing saw him finish in ninth spot in two hours and 15 minutes in last year's Chicago marathon.

"From the 38km mark, I felt great and I knew I could win it," head. His time was almost a minute off the course record of two hours and five minutes set last year by Kenyan Vincent Kiprop.

However, the women category saw the setting of a new record as another Ethiopian Baysa clocked just two hours 22 minutes and three seconds.

This smashed the previous record set by Belgian Marlee Renders in 2002.

Second-placed Christelle Daunay also set a new French record, running running just two hours, 24 minutes and 22 seconds. She was the only non Ethiopian in the top five. - Sapa-AFP