Moroccan Marathoner Smashes Women's World Record On Final Day Of The Paralympics

PARIS (AP) — Morocco’s Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi smashed the world record in the women’s marathon for runners with visual impairments on the last day of the Paralympic Games.

El Idrissi finished in 2 hours, 48 minutes, 36 seconds on Sunday, beating the previous record from Japan’s Misato Michishita in Hofu City in December 2020 by nearly six minutes.

“I wasn’t running for a time, only for a medal,” the 29-year-old Moroccan said. “I wasn’t aiming to get the world record, just to get the gold, and now I have both.”

Compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi was just over nine minutes behind, followed by Michishita, almost 15 minutes behind the winner.

Elena Congost thought she’d won bronze, but the Spanish runner was later disqualified for releasing the tether to her guide, Mia Carol Bruguera, before the finish.

Michishita only found out she was upgraded to bronze while on her way to doping control.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” said the Japanese runner, who said she got injured after winning the last edition in Tokyo and wasn’t certain she’d be able to race in Paris.

Tunisia’s Wajdi Boukhili won the men’s T12 marathon.

The 25-year-old Boukhili finished in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 5 seconds, ahead of Spain’s Alberto Suarez Laso and Paralympic record holder El Amin Chentouf of Morocco. All three ran season-best times.

Swiss wheelchair racers Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug won the women’s and men’s marathons for the T53/54 catagories.

Debrunner, the world record holder, finished in 1:41:50, more than four minutes ahead of Australia’s Madison de Rozario and the United States’ Susannah Scaroni, who took silver and bronze, respectively.

Tatyana McFadden, the most decorated American wheelchair racer, was seventh, just over 12 minutes behind