Barnaba Kipkoech and Natasha Cockram take the spoils as over 6,000 runners enjoy Belfast Half Marathon

Kenya’s Barnaba Kipkoech and Great Britain’s Natasha Cockram took the honors in emphatic fashion at Sunday’s Moy Park Belfast Half Marathon, leading home over 6,600 competitors in the largest event of its kind in Northern Ireland.

30-year-old Kipkoech was in world class form following a sub two hour and 11 minute marathon run in Rotterdam. He also ran under 63 minutes in the recent Malaga Half Marathon.

On a beautiful Belfast morning, Kipoech repeated this form from an early stage producing a sizzling pace to leave the opposition in his wake. He shattered the course record by over two minutes with a time of 63 minutes and 48 seconds. This was over three minutes ahead of North Belfast’s Finn McNally who took the runner-up spot in 67.04. The Brighton based runner is the current Northern Ireland Cross Country champion .

Annadale’s Brhane Gebrebrhan - the Northern Ireland 5,000 metres champion - took third place in 68.24 ahead of Spain’s Abdenasser Oukhelfen. Only two seconds further back was CNDR’s Conor Gallagher. Newcastle’s Robert Hagen ran a personal best of 70.22 to finish sixth.

In the women’s event US-based Cockram wasted little time in showing her dominance over last year’s winner Anne Marie McGlynn.

Cockram competed for Great Britain in the last World Championships, and has a marathon personal best of two hours and 26 minutes.

She forced the pace from early to finish in 72 minutes and 47 seconds. This was over a minute ahead of Letterkenny’s McGlynn who was also well ahead of third placed Monica Silva of Portugal in 74.59. Ivana Anderson was fifth with 79.29 followed by Sarah McNutt on 80.49.

posted Monday September 23rd
by Brian Hill