Edinburgh Marathon 2015 Results: Top Finishers and Photos

The forecast called for rain, but the weather held off just enough for Peter Wanjiru and Joan Kigen to capture the men's and women's divisions, respectively, of the 2015 Edinburgh Marathon.

Working the fast course on a dreary day—albeit one with far less precipitation than expected—Wanjiru put up a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, 36 seconds, to take his first Edinburgh Marathon. The Krakow winner defeated second-place Neil Renault by almost exactly five minutes and third-place David Toniok by nearly seven. 

Kigen, who was considered a strong favorite coming into Sunday, posted a time of 2:39:43. Charlotte Firth finished second, more than nine minutes behind, and Samantha Amend finished in third place, 10 minutes off the lead. Kigen previously finished second in the Bournemouth Marathon each of the last two years, making this win a special moment as she continues to ascend.

For a race still in its relative infancy, the competition level was high.

The men's side was equally dominated by favorites. Toniok took the race last year and was considered a favorite Sunday before falling to third. The field also featured Ebisa Merga and crowd favorite Steve Way, who was considered the best bet at getting a win for the United Kingdom. Way was battling through injuries and getting over sickness during much of the training period.

“Unfortunately straight after London, I got a cold which lasted three weeks," Way said before the race, per Mark Woods of the Edinburgh Evening News. "I trained through it but it was substandard. But the last few weeks, I’ve been training well. I still probably would need another three weeks to be at my best. But we’ll give it a go.”

The Edinburgh event has been a consistent fixture on the Scottish calendar since 2003, growing each year from a low-fi event into something that generates consistent coverage. There has not been a repeat winner on the men's side since Kenyan Zachary Kihara dominated in 2004 and 2005. The women's race has never seen a repeat winner.

Defined by its relatively simple course design, Edinburgh often draws some of the fastest times on the marathon circuit.

"Flat and fast," reads the official website's description of the course. "This course was voted the fastest marathon in the UK by Runners World in 2008. Great if it's your first marathon or you are looking for a PB!"

While largely defined by its competitive nature, the Edinburgh Marathon also attracts a healthy amount of citizens participating in the full event or half marathon. As is typically the case, many of those citizens come with colorful stories, colorful clothing or just plain colors. Here is a look at some of the best pictures captured at the event:

Even if both winning times were well off record-setting paces, it's impossible to say this was anything less than a success. The rain held off enough to allow the course to stay relatively dry and keep those watching the event outdoors. 

We'll just have to see if Wanjiru and Kigen are up to the task of breaking the winners' curse when (or if) they return to Edinburgh next year.