Runner Muhitira sets new record in France

Sunday2017 Sedan-Charleville 24.3km Men top five1. Felicien Muhitira (Rwa) 01h:10’:04”2. Kome Kirwa (Ken) 01h:10’44”3. Elvis Tabarach (Ken) 01h:11’:10”4. Alfred Cherop (Ken) 01h:11’:22”5. Lazaraus Too (Ken) 01h:11’:27” Rwanda’s long distance runner Athlete Felicien Muhitira has continued his impressive run on the international scene after winning this year’s 98th edition of Sedan-Charleville race in France on Sunday. He also set a new race record. The 24.3km annual race attracted over 3600 athletes from across the world, with Muhitira the only Rwandan, but that did not stop him from stunning Kenyans, winning in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 4 seconds. Frenchman Luis Vincent (1:14:22) was the only non-East African runner to finish in top ten. He came in the ninth place. There were eight Kenyans in the top ten. Victorious Muhitira broke a 54-year record of the fastest time in this race that was set by Norman Ameur, who had posted 1:11:08 in 1963. Muhitira, who won the International Brazzaville Half-marathon in July, crossed the finish line 40 seconds ahead of Kenyan Kome Kirwa, who posted 01h:10’:44”. Sedan-Charlesville is Muhitira’s second race victory on French soil this year after Semi Marathon de Marvejols-Mende, in July. The 22-year-old had also set a new personal best of one hour, one minute and 56 seconds when he finished fifth during the Le Lion Semi Marathon International last weekend. He becomes the second Rwandan athlete to win Sedan-Charleville race following in the footsteps of Dieudonné Disi (now retired), who won it in 2012 after clocking 1h:14’:12”. “I am thrilled to have set a new record in such an important race, this has been a tremendous year for me since I started working with Disi, who has helped me in getting many competitions, and has been including facilitating me financially,” Muhitira told Times Sport by phone on Monday. The former Nyamasheke Athletics Club runner, who races for Italian team Potenza Picena, has been in France since last month where he travelled to compete in four races beforehe could return home in time for the National Championships set for November. He has so far run two races and the remaining two races include; the 20km de Paris scheduled for October 8 and the Marseille-Cassis (20km) on October 23. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Runner Muhitira sets new record in France