Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw celebrates Antrim Coast Half Marathon hat-trick as wet weather makes for difficult conditions
Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw made it a hat-trick of successes in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon women's race.
Yehualaw, who previously won the event in 2021 and 2022, was first over the line on a wet and windy day in Larne.
Her time was 65 minutes 34 seconds with Malaga Half Marathon winner Loice Chemung in second place, who finished 1 minute and 16 seconds later.
The top three was completed by Joyciline Jepkosgei – the fastest half marathon runner in the world for 2024 – who was 1 minute and 33 seconds behind the winner.
Fionnuala Ross was the first female runner representing team Northern Ireland to clock in at 74 minutes and 16 seconds and finish 10th overall.
The men's race was won by Kenyan Nzioka Matata who clocked in at 59 minutes and 48 seconds - just 11 seconds shy of his personal best.
Matata won the 2024 Venloop Half Marathon and finished second at the 2023 New Delhi Half Marathon.
He finished above fellow Kenyan Hillary Kipkoech in second and two-time Tokyo Marathon winner Birhanu Legese in third.
Conor Duffy was the first male runner representing team Northern Ireland to cross the finishing line with a time of 66 minutes and 54 seconds.
As well as the elite athletes, thousands of casual runners took to the streets in testing conditions across the Antrim coast, which includes running through Larne town into Drains Bay and turning at Ballygalley.
Last year’s race was billed as seeing the quickest men’s and women’s half marathons ever ran in the UK & Ireland.