Houston, Jan 20 (IANS): Ethiopians dominated the men's and women's marathon Sunday in the American city of Houston, a repeat of what they did last year.

Bazu Worku defended his Houston title Sunday in the men's race with a time of 2 hrs 7 min and 32 seconds, the third-fastest time in the Chevron Houston Marathon race history, reports Xinhua.

His fellow countryman Getachew Terfa crossed the line 22 seconds later at 2:07:54, and Jose Antonio Uribe from Mexico shattered his personal best with a 2:08:54 to place third.

Worku, 23, and Terfa, 30, battled stride for stride for most of the back half of the race before the younger man began to pull away in the final half-mile.

Worku told the media through an interpreter that he intended to return to Houston and break the course record of 2:06.51, set by Tariku Jufar in 2012. He didn't make it because "toward the end there was some wind affecting" him.

"The course is very good," Worku said. "I'm really happy to win this time. Last year it was very difficult because of the wind and the rain."

Fellow Ethiopian Abebech Bekele won the women's race in 2:25.52. Her countrywomen Meskerem Assefa and Gelete Burka took the silver and the bronze in 2:25:59 and 2:26:03 respectively. Bekele's result was the eighth-fastest performance in race history.

The win was the eighth consecutive in Houston for Ethiopian women. The Houston women's record is 2:23:14, set by Alemitu Abera, of Ethiopia, two years ago. Ethiopian men have won the last six Houston races.