The first African winner was Ezequiel Bitok in 1993 .
Ezequiel Bitok 's course record run of 1 : 01 : 48 hours marked the introduction of elite - level participation at the event .
The first African winner was Ezequiel Bitok in 1993 and his course record run of 1 : 01 : 48 hours marked the introduction of elite - level participation at the event .