Australia’s Michael Shelley stunned a favoured east African field to win the men’s marathon gold at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday with Flomena Daniel leading a Kenyan one-two in the women’s race.
Shelley, who finished 16th in the London Olympics, clocked a personal best of 2hr 11min 15sec on the largely flat course around the streets of Glasgow, to better his silver-medal showing in Delhi four years ago.
Kenya’s Stephen Chemlany, a pacemaker for compatriot Patrick Makau’s world record run in the Berlin marathon last year when he went on to finish fourth in a personal best of 2:06.24, claimed silver in 2:11.58.
Uganda’s Abraham Kiplimo took bronze at 1:08. Shortly afterwards, Daniel broke clear late on from teammate Kilel to record a convincing Kenyan double in the women’s race.
This year’s Paris marathon winner timed 2hr 26min 45sec, with Kilel claiming silver at 25sec.
Australian Jess Trengrove produced a strong last third to reel in Namibia’s Helalia Johannes for bronze, at 3:27.
The marathons kicked off the Games athletics programme in the city streets with the action switching later in the day to Hampden Park where the final in the men’s 5000m was on the schedule, along with heats in both the men and women’s 100m.
