Kenyans sweep Life Time Miami Marathon again, miles ahead of 18,000 runners

Kenyans with farming families reigned again Sunday at the 21st Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon, easily sweeping the 26.2-mile main event in downtown Miami as nearly 18,000 participants trailed them.

But this year it was a different Kenyan pair that prevailed.

George Onyancha, 29, of Kissi in Western Kenya, earned the overall title (and $4,500) in 2 hours 18 minutes 25 seconds and raved about the palm trees and “very friendly’’ Miamians just five days into his first trip to the United States.

“Palm trees look like umbrellas,’’ Onyancha said through an interpreter. “Beautiful.’’

Onyancha trains in the fertile Rift Valley, the high-altitude hallowed ground for some of the world’s finest marathoners. Onyancha, who grew up on a tea plantation, broke free Sunday at 25K and crossed the finish five minutes and 51 seconds — more than a mile — in front of Ethiopian runner-up Siraj Amda (2:24:16 for $2,000).

“I didn’t know his plan,’’ Onyancha said. “I thought he might have a kick. So I said to myself, ‘Let me take off because you never know.’’’

Damaris Areba, 27, who also lives in Kissi and is married to a farmer who serves as her trainer, led the women’s field in 2:33:49 ($4,500), the event’s second-fastest time in history and two-and-a-half minutes ahead of Kenyan runner-up Isgah Cheruto (2:36:19 for $2,000). The winner’s family farms bananas, tea and maize. She said she was “too busy running to notice the course,’’ but did rave about the cruise ships she saw Saturday night.

“A very flat course,’’ Areba said. “But I like the people in Miami. They cheered for me the whole course.”

The marathon took off outside the Miami-Dade Arena in the 6 a.m. darkness – 13-mph winds from the east and temperatures and humidity starting at 74. Considered one of the nation’s most scenic marathons, it heads toward Miami Beach over the MacArthur Causeway and travels past glowing cruise ships and the iconic neon marquees of Ocean Drive through South Beach. It continues past the Miami Beach Convention Center, over the majestic Venetian Causeway and back into Miami where the half marathon finishes and full marathon continues into the Brickell and Coconut Grove areas before ending near a festive Bayfront Park.

Among the elite and thousands of recreational runners were spectators who lined the course. One particularly colorful character sat on a bicycle near the start, waving a giant “Trump” flag and told participants, “If you’re running and need to run faster, pretend you’re being chased by the police.’’

The same man was booed by runners as he waved his flag from atop the railing of the MacArthur.

Both winners were represented by manager Sylvester Mokamba, who will take them to Grand Prairie, Texas, for training during marathon season.

Half marathon winners

The 13.1-mile half marathon had a local winner – from Madrid, Spain.

Nacho Hernando-Angulo, 29, has lived in Miami for the past five years, less than a mile from the marathon finish. He won Sunday’s half marathon in 1:08:36, his overjoyed wife and their baby son Ignacio waiting at the edge of Bayfront Park.

“I moved here for work,’’ said Hernando-Angulo, a sales director who imports food products for Asuma, Inc. “It’s definitely not ideal to live here and be an elite marathoner. They say it’s a fast course but it’s not. It’s very tough. You have two main bridges and there’s always too much headwind the first five miles.

“But I’m extremely excited to win my hometown marathon,’’ he said “It’s awesome.’’

Hernando-Angulo’s half-marathon best is 1:05:57 at Houston, but he’s more famous for winning the 2020 snowshoe world championship in Tokyo.

“I train here at the beach,’’ he said. “A lot of people can’t believe it, but you have to adapt. To be honest, the sand on the beach is very similar to powdered snow.’’

Weynshet Ansa Weldestadisk, 26, of Ethiopia, won the women’s half marathon in 1:14:55. She is temporarily living in Washington, D.C. before returning to Ethiopia after the season.

“The city is windy and hot but it’s so beautiful,’’ she said. “I wish I lived here.’’

Celebratory start

As usual, hundreds of spectators gathered on the stairs leading to the arena or lined Biscayne Boulevard hoisting hand-written signs for their favorite competitors. The Freedom Tower across the street was bathed in red lights, a few red flares went off and pictured on the massive LCD screen outside the arena were encouraging messages to the participants beginning their journeys with tiny steps until they could spread out.

Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman attended the race, as she has for 21 years. She ran the first one in 2003.

“Frankie Ruiz has brought incredible professionalism to this and we had like 3,000 people when it started,’’ Heyman said of the race co-founder and chief running officer for Life Time. “Now, it’s an international event and a destination.’’

“As far as I’m concerned it was everything that Miami has to offer,’’ Ruiz said. “The energy was high, the weather cooperated, the community, police, everything seemed to work and it continues to show that after 21 years we just keep making things better in such a busy city.”