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Ethiopians finish in the top three in a race with 4,600 runners

In another close finish, Ethiopia’s Bado Worku emerged victorious Sunday in the 30th Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half-Marathon.

Worku, who was second in last weekend’s Grandma’s Half Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, posted a time of 1:05.49,  two seconds ahead of countryman and defending champion Worku Beyi.

Ethiopians grabbed the top-three places, as Nigusse Ketema took third (1.05:57).

Bado Worku

Last year, Beyi (1:04.11) nipped Nigusse (1:04.12) at the finish line by one second.  This year’s winning time was nearly two minutes slower.

Sunday’s race got under way at 8:30 a.m. at Jennings Beach with a full field of 4,600 runners. It featured top athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Kazachstan and the United States.

Penn State graduate Tyler McCandless was the top American finisher, coming in fourth with a time of 1:08.00.

Former Fairfield Half-Marathon winner Tom Harding was 28th (1.22.14).

Recent Fairfield Prep graduate Connor Rog was 19th (1:20.13) and third in his age bracket.

In the women’s division, Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia (1:15.43) defended her title with a three-second win over countrywomen Alemteshay Misganaw (1:15.46), who finished second in the 2005 Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half-Marathon.  Deba was eighth overall.

West Simsbury’s Shannon McHale (29th, 1:22.17) was the top finisher among American females.

Source: Fairfield patch