North Korean twin runners Kim Hye-gyong and Hye-song finished seventh and ninth, respectively, in the women's marathon at the Incheon Asian Games on Thursday.

   Hye-gyong, the younger of the two, crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 36 minutes, 38 seconds, less than two minutes ahead of Hye-song, who clocked in at 2:38:55 after the 42.195-kilometer race in this port city just west of Seoul.

   The 21-year-old fraternal twins, who are both generously listed at 153 centimeters, began the race in the leaders' pack until the 10-kilometer point in chilly weather.

   The two continued to run side by side until the 27-kilometer point, when Hye-gyong moved ahead of her older sister. Hye-gyong then extended her lead throughout the rest of the race.

   The twins, looking rather disappointed, did not answer any questions from reporters after crossing the finish line at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in the northern part of the city.

   The two previously raced at the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Moscow, where Hye-gyong finished eighth at 2:35:49 and Hye-song came in 14th at 2:38:28.

   Bahrain's Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa won the gold medal with a time of 2:25:37. Japan's Ryoko Kizaki and Bahrain's Lishan Gemgchu grabbed the silver and the bronze. 

   Kirwa, who was born a Kenyan but became a naturalized Bahraini, led the race throughout.

   South Korea's Kim Seong-eun, the nation's fastest marathoner this year at 2:29:31, came in eighth after clocking in at 2:38:16.

Choi Bo-ra, another runner representing the host country, finished 12th.

   Both South Korean athletes competed in this year's Seoul International Marathon, with Kim finishing fourth at 2:29:31 while Choi finished sixth at 2:32:43. (Yonhap)