Bekele runs course record, Battocletti retains title in Bolzano
Ethiopia’s Telahun Haile Bekele set a course record to win the men’s race, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti retained her women’s race crown at the BOclassic Alto Adige, a World Athletics Label road race, on Tuesday (31).
Bekele ran 27:59 to become the first athlete to break 28 minutes for this 10km race and home favourite Battocletti clocked 15:31 to repeat her 5km victory from the previous year.
After the start at Waltherplatz, a group of five athletes remained together in the men’s race, with Bekele joined by Italy’s Yeman Crippa, Kenya’s Charles Rotich, South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton and Morocco’s Soufiyan Bouqantar.
Bouqantar had to let his rivals go on the fourth lap and Chaumeton dropped out on the fifth loop. That left the trio of Bekele, Crippa and Rotich in contention. Bekele then attacked on the penultimate lap and built a lead, which he maintained on the last loop and final sprint. In the end, the 25-year-old Ethiopian set a record time of 27:59, one second faster than the mark by Sabastian Sawe in 2023. Bekele had already finished on the podium once before at the BOclassic Alto Adige as he came second in 2019.
Crippa was runner-up for the third time in a row, finishing just two seconds back. The 19-year-old Rotich completed the podium in 28:08, while Chaumeton finished fourth and two-time BOclassic winner Oscar Chelimo from Uganda finished fifth.
All eyes were on Battocletti in the women’s race. She led from start to finish, although the 20-year-old Aleshign Baweke of Ethiopia could not be shaken off and was only finally beaten on the home straight after an irresistible attack by Battocletti.
Battocletti's winning time was 15:31, four seconds faster than Baweke.
Third place went to Turkiye’s Yasemin Can who stayed on the heels of the leading duo for a long time, but had to let go on the final loop. Federica Del Buono finished in fourth place after a brilliant final lap, while Micol Majori finished in fifth place.
Leading results
Women
1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 15:31
2 Aleshign Baweke (ETH) 15:35
3 Yasemin Can (TUR) 16:05
4 Federica Del Buono (ITA) 16:07
5 Micol Majori (ITA) 16:11
Men
1 Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH) 27:59
2 Yeman Crippa (ITA) 28:01
3 Charles Rotich (KEN) 28:08
4 Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) 28:27
5 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 28:43
posted Thursday January 2nd
by World Athletics