Elfneshe Yado raises her arms in victory at the women's finish, as Malika Mejdoub of Morocco takes second place. (Baltimore Sun / October 13, 2012)
BALTIMORE — An inch separated the top two women’s finishers in the 12th Baltimore Marathon, and a Kenyan won back-to-back first-place finishes in the men’s race Saturday.
Perhaps WBAL-TV 11 News Sports Director Gerry Sandusky put it best: “In sports you make a name for yourself by winning. And, sometimes, when you win, everyone learns the correct pronunciation of your name…Elfneshe Yado won the women’s race literally one inch ahead of Malika Mejdoub. Timing chips showed identical finishing times, and officials declared a winner via visual sight line, making for the closest finish ever in the Baltimore Marathon.
Through a translator and friend, Yado said, “The race was amazing. (I’m) happy that (I) won, and (I) loves Baltimore.”
Yado enjoyed her first trip to America with a virtual photo finish with Malika Mejdoub, of Morocco. Both were given the same time — 2:38:46 — the 10th fastest time in race history. Yado will return home to Ethiopia in a week before running next month in a 10K in India.
“She was certain she was going to win. All she saw was the finish line,” Yado’s translator said. Yado said she will use her $25,000 prize to buy gear, and “a lot of stuff to enhance (my) training and to support (my) family. Yado has three siblings.
Watch: Elfneshe Yado’s interview with WBAL-TV 11
