Running News Daily

Abdi Nageeye won the NN CPC Loop Den Haag

Abdi Nageeye won the half marathon as part of the 48th NN CPC Run The Hague on Sunday, setting a Dutch record. The Netherland’s best road athlete won the opening classic half marathon race completing it in 1.00.21. In doing so, despite bowel and hamstring problems, he improved his own record by three seconds.

Ethiopian Charlie Kedir (1.00.48) and Israel’s Tadesse Getahon (1.01.01) joined Nageeye on the podium of honour. Khalid Choukoud, ambassador of the NN CPC Loop Den Haag in his hometown, finished in sixth place as the second Dutchman in 1.03.31. He was 25 seconds ahead of Tom Hendrikse.

Among the women, Susan Chembai from Kenya triumphed in a PR of 1.07.12. Lornah Kiplagat’s course record (1.06.56) remained out of reach. Germany’s Katharina Steinruck captured second place (1.09.58). Finishing third, was Dutch competitor Anna Luijten. The reigning national champion in the half and full marathon, improved her time, completing in 1.10.39. A year ago, she set her personal record of 1.12.12.

Nageeye was not the only athlete to run a Dutch record at the NN CPC Loop Rotterdam. So did 76-year-old Rietje Corstens from Bergen op Zoom. In the women 75+ category, she set a time of 1.59.22.

Abdi Nageeye on a record hunt during the 48th NN CPC Loop Den Haag

With the arrival of Abdi Nageeye, the 48th CPC Run The Hague will take on a special character. The fastest road athlete in the country wants to attack his Dutch record in the half marathon on Sunday, March 10 in the royal city. 

That record has been in his name since 2019 with 1.00.24. Nageeye achieved that feat in Marugame, Japan. In the years that followed, the 34-year-old athlete has developed into an international star. 

In 2021, he won silver in the marathon during the Tokyo Olympic Games and also 'dragged' his Belgian friend Bashir Abdi to bronze in a controversial manner. A year later, Nageeye became the first Dutchman to win the NN Marathon Rotterdam, with an astonishing national record of 2:04:56. In New York he finished third and fourth among other world top players over the past two years.

Nageeye would now like to improve his top time in the half marathon. The CPC Loop The Hague is an ideal opportunity for this. Many participants achieved their personal record on the attractive and fast course, such as Nienke Brinkman who won this distance among the women last year. Nageeye is one of the favorites for victory this year.

The course has been further improved in some areas. The official measurement took place successfully last weekend. "We are ready for new record times," says Marc Corstjens, who traditionally puts together the field of athletes with a lot of knowledge. "We are happy with Nageeye's participation and will soon announce the names of other top players."

If Nageeye manages to improve his Dutch top time in the half marathon, the record will be back in The Hague. Before the athlete of Somali origin took possession of it, it was in the name of Greg van Hest for no less than twenty years, who set a time of 1.01.10 for the 'CPC' in 1999. 

The CPC Run The Hague is an important stopover for Nageeye on the way to the Olympic Games that are scheduled for next summer in Paris. He has already met the time limit for the Olympic marathon.

Running party

The CPC Loop The Hague is the largest running party in the residence and attracts more than 30,000 participants every year in an unprecedentedly atmospheric atmosphere. In addition to being a top sporting event, it is a fun and sporty 'outing' for the whole family. With distances up to and including the half marathon, the event is known as a spring classic. 

Wilbert Lek, Director of CPC Run The Hague: “In addition to the arrival of top athletes from home and abroad, I look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of athletes at the start of the various distances. In addition to the NN Half Marathon, we also offer a 5 KM and 10 KM Run a great challenge for every recreational runner.”

All distances start and finish at the Malieveld. The courses run through the crowd-filled streets of The Hague. The main part, the Half Marathon, goes from the city to the iconic Pier in Scheveningen and then finishes back in the city. 

Program

The 48th edition of the CPC Loop The Hague starts on Sunday, March 10 at 9:15 am with the group-up Youth Run of 1 km. This will be followed by the CPC4ALL of 1 km (10 a.m.), the group Youth Run of 2.5 km (10.30 a.m.), the 5 KM Run (11 a.m.), the 10 KM Run (12 p.m.) and the Half Marathon (2 p.m. o'clock). 

In addition, you can participate in the City Pier Night Walk on Friday, March 8 (starts between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM), a pleasant evening walk of 8 or 12 kilometers. 

Susan Chembai is aiming for victory and a course record at the NN CPC Loop Den Haag

Susan Chembai is aiming for victory and a course record during the 48th NN CPC Run, current national half marathon champion, is also at the start. It was previously announced that Abdi Nageeye will launch an attack on his own Dutch record half marathon .

Susan ChembaiSusan Chembai is the big favorite among the women during the 48th NN CPC Run on Sunday, March 10. The 24-year-old Kenyan wants to give her performance at the NN Half Marathon extra shine with a course record. The fastest time ever run by an athlete in the royal city has been in the name of Lornah Kiplagat since 2000. The Dutch triumphed at the time in 1.06.56.

Chembai is a promising athlete who makes great progress every year. She improved her personal best in the half marathon from 1.13.22 (2021, Verona) via 1.11.34 (2022, Lisbon) to 1.09.26 (2023, Copenhagen). She wants to surpass herself again on the attractive and fast course of the NN CPC Run The Hague. Last year she also stood out with a PR of 52.48 during the CZ Tilburg Ten Miles.

Katharina SteinruckAnother eye-catching appearance in the field of participants is Katharina Steinruck. The 34-year-old athlete won gold with the German women's marathon team during the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich. In the same year she set her PR in the half marathon in Berlin: 1.09.38. Steinruck is the daughter of Katrin Dörre, an athlete with an impressive list of honors. Dörre ran more than forty marathons and finished first in Osaka (4x), London (3x), Tokyo (3x), Frankfurt (3x), Berlin, Hamburg and Enschede. The (East) German won the bronze medal at the Seoul Olympics (1988) and at the Tokyo World Championships (1991).Katharina Steinruck is getting closer to her mother's personal top times. In the half marathon: 1.09.38 versus 1.09.15. In the marathon: 2:24:56 versus 2:24:35. Katrin Dörre, now 62 and national coach, ran her last marathon in 1999. Striking detail: mother and daughter both won the Enschede marathon during their careers.

Anne LuijtenAnne Luijten (29) is a Dutch star who has already met the marathon limit for the Paris Olympic Games with 2.26.36. That part is on the program in the French capital on Sunday, August 11 at eight o'clock in the morning. Luijten, born in Rijswijk, is the reigning Dutch champion in the half and full marathon. Last year she set a personal record of 1.12.12 at the CPC Loop The Hague. The women's race was then won impressively by Nienke Brinkman (1.07.44).

MenWilbert Lek, organizer of the CPC Run The Hague: "Once again we can speak of an interesting field of participants among women. We count on just as exciting a race as last year, when Nienke Brinkman won with a strong personal record. Following in the footsteps of the top athletes, many recreational participants will again pursue their personal goals, because the 'CPC' is the inspiring running event for everyone. We will soon provide more information about the men.”

Running partyThe CPC Run is the largest running party in the residence and attracts more than 30,000 participants every year in an unprecedentedly atmospheric atmosphere. In addition to being a top sporting event, it is a fun and sporty 'outing' for the whole family. With distances up to and including the half marathon, the event is known as a spring classic. The event is almost completely sold out, there are only starting tickets available for the 10 KM Run.

All distances start and finish at the Malieveld. The courses run through the crowd-filled streets of The Hague. The main part, the Half Marathon, goes from the city to the iconic Pier in Scheveningen and then finishes back in the city.

Kenyan Brian Kiptoo wins CPC Loop Den Haag in windy conditions

Tens of thousands of runners took part in the city's largest running event. Omroep West reported on the CPC Loop all day long.

The 47th NN CPC Loop Den Haag was won by Kenyan Brian Kiptoo (1.00.53), but the most remarkable performance was by Nienke Brinkman. The Dutch runner  triumphed among the women, running the half marathon in a personal record of 1.07.44  despite the  windy conditions.

In the men’s event, Brian Kiptoo shook off compatriot Moses Kiptoo (1.00.55) and Albert Rop (Bahrain, 1.01.05) in the closing stages. Khalid Choukoud finished as the best Dutchman: fourth in 1.02.55. Choukoud, this year’s ambassador for the NN CPC Run The Hague , had been suffering from a bad cold for the past week but was satisfied with his performance “at 85 per cent of my ability”.

On the women’s podium,  Brinkman was flanked by Rosalinda Jepketer (Bahrain, 1.08.40) and Kenya’s Pauline Esikon (1.08.47).

NN CPC Loop Den Haag was Canceled due to extreme weather

THE HAGUE -The NN CPC Run The Hague has been canceled. The organization does not consider it justified to have more than 41,000 runners start under the stormy weather conditions.

The organization announced on Saturday night that the course was going on for the time being, but in the end the strong wind decided to cancel the course, according to a spokesman.

"The wind force is increasing to 7 with gusts up to 100 km per hour. Because of the very bad weather, the temperature of the feeling can drop to the freezing point, which creates an unsafe situation on the course and the Malieveld for both runners and the public."

After consultation with the mayor and emergency services, the organization has taken the decision to cancel the event. The organization says it regrets the measure.

"We, too, have been looking forward to this 45th edition of the NN CPC Run The Hague. A setback for everyone who is looking forward to it, but the safety of the runners, volunteers, spectators and other people involved is always at the forefront of the NN CPC course in The Hague."

The organization calls on people not to come to the Malieveld. The organization does not yet want to make any statements about what happens to the registration fee and any alternative course at another time.

"We'll come back to that later." Reaction Krikke Mayor Pauline Krikke calls it 'unfortunate' for the more than 41,000 enthusiastic runners that CPC can not continue.

"A cheerful sporting event, one of the biggest events in our city every year." The mayor was at the Malieveld on Sunday morning around half past seven to view the weather conditions with the organization and relief workers.

She shows understanding for the choice not to let the run go: "No matter how beautiful the event is and no matter how much I give the runners their game, the safety of the participants is always paramount."