Ahmed Muhumed wins Philadelphia half marathon, his first
Ahmed Muhumed of Flagstaff, Arizona. is normally a 5K or 10K runner. But on Saturday he took part in the Philadelphia half marathon – his first half marathon ever.
Then he won. The @Philly_Marathon Instagram account shared a video of Muhumed crossing the finish line and hugging Kenyan American distance runner Aliphine Tuliamuk.
His unofficial time: just 1:03:15, or a pace of about 4:50 a mile.
Muhumed spoke to CBS Philadelphia's Eva Andersen at the finish line near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
"To finish first, it's always good to win," Muhumed said. "And coming off of a 10K in Miami and then a 5K three weeks ago, it's been a good month of November winning all three races."
The Boise State and Florida State grad said he was looking for "one more long race" before shutting down for the fall and building back up for track season.
The weather was not super kind, a little windy and cold, but there was "a lot of fun, a lot of cheering," he added.
He said he was fueled by a bagel and two shots of espresso – and only drinks coffee on race days.
He is a member of the Hoka NAZ Elite along with Tuliamuk.
"This city is incredible and I'm just privileged to be able to out there and be running," Muhumed said.
The full Philadelphia marathon takes place on Sunday. You can find out more about road closures and maps of the race route here.
