Mohammed Hajjy has etched his name in the annals of the Malta Marathon with golden letters after the Moroccan fended off the strong challenge of compatriot Nasef Ahmed for a fifth successive title yesterday.

With over 4,000 participants for the landmark 30th edition, Hajjy ensured that this year’s race was one to remember as he became the first runner to win the race five times after crossing the finish line in two hours 19 minutes and 28 seconds, according to provisional results.

Ahmed pushed Hajjy all the way in the rain-hit race but had to settle for second in 2:19.29 while Elfechi Abdelhakim completed a Moroccan clean sweep when taking third place in 2:21.36.

“I’m delighted to have retained the title for a fifth successive year,” Hajjy told Times of Malta.

“The Malta Marathon has a special place in my heart and I was keen to return and win the race once more.

“The weather made it very difficult for us to post a fast time as the wind and wet conditions throughout the course surely affected the performance of all the runners.

“But my main goal is always to win and it’s a special feeling to know that I am the only runner to have won such a difficult race five times. Not many runners can boast of winning the same marathon five times in a row.”

Ahmed was running the Malta Marathon for the first time. The Italy-based runner said he was still pleased with his result after some difficult months.

“Obviously it’s disappointing to miss out on victory by just a few metres, but when I look back at what I have been through in the last few months, I have to be really pleased with my effort,” Ahmed said.

“Over the past months, I have battled a series of knee injuries and this race was my first since I completed my rehabilitation from knee surgery. I can’t be pleased with my result as my best time for the marathon is 2:10 but I still got time on my side to return and win the race with a personal best.”

Jonathan Balzan’s reign as Malta’s fastest runner in the home marathon came to an end yesterday after the veteran was beaten by Andrew Grech.

Elation... Andrew Grech celebrates his success yesterday.Elation... Andrew Grech celebrates his success yesterday.

Grech, of Mellieħa AC, was eighth overall in a time of 2:32.34 to finish just ahead of Balzan who completed the 42.195km distance in 2:32.59.

“I am really delighted to have finally won the title of first Maltese runner in this race,” Grech said.

“Last year, I was well-placed to reach this objective but towards the end of the race, I suffered an injury and was eventually overtaken by Jonathan (Balzan).

“That disappointment spurred me to make up for it this year. Today, I felt very strong throughout the course and with eight kilometres to go, I sped clear of Jonathan and ended the race very strongly.

“I would like to thank my coach and family as without them I wouldn’t be here today.”

In the women’s race, the title was won by English runner Samantha Woodward who crossed the finish line in just over three hours.

“This was a really great debut for me in the Malta Marathon,” Woodward said afterwards.

“Although we didn’t have the best weather conditions, the race course was very beautiful and it certainly proved a wise decision to come to this lovely island and run this race.

“There is no doubt that next year I will come back to defend the title.”

Josann Attard Pulis, last year’s winner, had to settle for second place.

“The weather conditions made it very tough for us,” Pulis said.

“At the Mrieħel juncture, we were hit by heavy rain and strong winds which disrupted my rhythm.

“But overall I can be satisfied with my performance and hopefully I will be back next year to regain the title.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.