Satara (Maharashtra), Sep 18 (IANS): Ethiopian runners swept the Satara Hill Half Marathon here on Sunday as Biruk Assefa Jifar clinched the elite mens title while compatriot Mesirak Seme claimed the womens crown.

The run, with 7,000 runners taking part, saw Diniyas Kumsa coming in second in the men's category while Adisu Abebe finished third. In the women's section, Bontu Megersa was behind Seme followed by Misa Mohammed -- all the runners are from Ethiopia.

Jifar and Seme got richer by Rs 1,50,000 each.

Renowned athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya, Finland and Germany competed in this 21 km ‘ultra' half-marathon, considered to be one of the toughest marathons in India and staged across the lush green Western Ghats.

Steeplechase athlete Lalita Babar flagged off the marathon and later felicitated the winners along with Marathon Association Satara president V.S. Jadhav.

The course of the Satara Hill Half Marathon is measured and ratified by the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation). The 21 km half-marathon is organised by the Marathon Association Satara, a non-profit organisation.

The Half Marathon further had three categories -- Top Over-all Finishers (including Indian and Overseas Elite runners), Top Indian Finishers (only for Indian finishers residing in India, irrespective of age) and Indian Finishers having Age-wise Group Categories.

This Dhamaal run is organised to convey the message of ‘Beti koi bojh nahi' as a message against female feticide.