The pre-race favourites John Kirui of Kenya and Alina Tecuta Gherasim of Romania took the men’s and women’s titles respectively at the 9th edition of the Monaco and Riviera Marathon today.

Following thunderstorms and heavy overnight rain, the tiny Mediterranean Principality woke up to cool temperatures and sporadically sunny skies, which presented comfortable conditions for marathon running. However, after reaching the Italian town of Vintimille, the runners had to cope with a slight wind in their faces for most of the final 25km or so, as the race snaked back along the coast for its finish at the Stade Louis II in Monaco’s Fontvieille port district.

Find out more about the 9th edition of the Monaco Marathon at http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=32586.html.