Running News Daily

Kenyan athletes dominate Napoli City Half Marathon

Kenyan athletes showcased their prowess at the Napoli City Half Marathon on Sunday, February 25, 2024, claiming victories in both the men's and women's races.

Brian Kwemoi Kirui crossed the finish line first in the men's race, matching Yeman Crippa's course record with a time of 59:27.

Angela Tanui emerged victorious in the women's category, achieving a new personal best of 1:07:04.

Anthony Kimtai secured second place in the men's race, setting a new personal best of 59:45, followed closely by Bernard Kipkurui Biwott, completing a Kenyan sweep of the top three spots with a time of 59:47.

Italy's Sofiia Yaremchuk achieved second place in the women's race, setting a new personal best of 1:08:27, while Kenyan athlete Nancy Chepleting Meli secured third place with a time of 1:10:03.

(02/26/2024) Views: 200 ⚡AMP
by Michezo Afrika

Kwemoi targets elusive Napoli Half Marathon title this weekend

Beijing Half Marathon champion Brian Kwemoi leads Kenyans in their quest for the Napoli Half Marathon title this Sunday.

The last time a Kenyan triumphed in Naples was in 2022 when Chepkirui Gladys clocked 1:08:09 to win the women's title.

Belet Kiplangat placed second (59:26) behind Italy's Crippa Yemaneberhan who clinched the title in 59:26.

In last year's edition, Edris Muktra (1:00:27) of Ethiopia and Mach Angelika (1:12:34) of Poland won the men's and women's titles.

Kwemoi, who secured the Beijing Half Marathon title in April 2023 with a course-record time of 59:37, will be joined by Vila de Santa Pola, Spain, half marathon champion Bernard Biwott.

Biwott also placed third in the Cardiff Half Marathon in October 2023, clocking 1:00:51.

Also in the mix is Moses Koech, the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics silver medalist in the 3,000m. He was also a 5,000m  silver medalist at the 2015 Barcelona Regional Championships in 13:15.56.

Koech placed second in the Loop Den Haag Half Marathon in the Netherlands in March 2023, with a time of 1:00:55. The trio will face stiff competition from Ethiopia's Mosinet Geremew who was the 2022 world marathon silver medallist.

Geremew is a silver medalist in the 2019 London Marathon, finishing behind two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge in 2:02:55.

On the women's side, 2021 Amsterdam Marathon champion Angela Tanui will lead the charge.

Tanui clocked 2:17:57 to win the title in the Netherlands. She will be joined by Nancy Jepleting, the Porto (Portugal) half marathon silver medalist.

The duo will face tough competition from Ethiopia's Anchinalu Dessie, a bronze medallist in the 2023 Milano Half Marathon, and Italy's Sofiia Yaremchuk, the 2021 Venezia Marathon champion.

(02/22/2024) Views: 176 ⚡AMP
by Teddy Mulei

Napoli City Half Marathon recap

Napoli City Half Marathon

To the Ethiopian world champion Edris and the Polish Mach the highest step on the podium of the 10th Napoli City Half Marathon

The climate did not betray expectations, it was a perfect day for the almost 5 thousand athletes engaged in the 10th Napoli City Half Marathon that highlighted the beauties of the city even more. From the charm of the Caracciolo seafront with the backdrop of Vesuvius and Capri to the passage on the very fast Corso Umberto before skirting the Maschio Angioino and returning to the finish line at the Sport Expo at the Mostra d'Oltremare, the logistics venue of the event.

In the middle of the fun and the spectacle for everyone there is also the real race, that of the big names who here at the Napoli City Half Marathon came to write their own in the golden register.

MEN'S RACE – Race that immediately decreed the winners who were at a 2’57” pace up to the 10th km, a trio consisting of the Ethiopian Muktar Edris, the Frenchman Mehdi Frére and the Kenyan Dennis Kibet Kitiyo. World champion Edris' first attack at the passage of the 13th km where Kitiyo passed with 23” delay leaving Frére to deal with Edris who did not disregard the anticipations. Confirmed, in fact, the victory of the Ethiopian Edris who cuts the finish line in 1h00’27” (2’51”/km) with a 16” advantage over the Frenchman Mehdi Frére, second in 1h00’43”. More detached the Kenyan Kitiyo who closes his work in 1h02’31” improving last year’s ninth position.

Even in the race of the Azzurri the positions were immediately frozen with Nekagenet Crippa (CS Army) who immediately ran for the highest step of the Italian podium, a goal centered with the time of 1h03’00” (2’59”/km) that earned him the sixth absolute position. They competed shoulder to shoulder up to the 13th km Stefano La Rosa (CS Carabinieri), Giuseppe Gerratana (CS Aeronautica Militare) and, slightly more detached, Xavier Chevrier (Atl. Valli Bergamasche Leffe). The Rosa then amounted a slightly higher pace that earned him the finish line in 1h04’35” with a few seconds in advance on Gerratana who with in 1h04’48 completes the blue podium.

“I am very pleased with the route I am doing being full load of miles for the marathon. I missed the final a little and I also suffered the wind. Now I still have three weeks before the Acea Run Rome The Marathon on March 19 and I am sure that my coach Piero Incalza will lead me to be ready for that date,” said Nekagenet Crippa, first Italian.

WOMEN'S RACE - The women's race was more eventful with the Bulgarian Militsa Mircheva who immediately put herself in the lead passing at the 10th km in 33’31" (3'21" / km) with a detachment of 14" on the pursuers, made up of the blue Anna Arnaudo (Battaglio CUS Torino Atl) and Rebecca Gear change at the 13th km where the Mircheva is tallonata by the Mach and at only 3” resists the Lonedo. The race ignites but to pop it up, with only one second of advantage, it is Mach who cut the finish line in 1h12’34” (3’26”/km) tallonata by Mircheva, second in 1h12’35” after a compelling final sprint. Third overall and first Italian Rebecca Lonedo (GS Fiamme Oro Padova) in 1h14’05” immediately followed by Federica Sugamiele (Caivano Runners) in 1h14’10”. More detached is the other blue Anna Arnaudo (Battaglio CUS Torino Atl) who closes the Italian podium with the time of 1h15’02".

“I really liked the route and also the result, even though the stopwatch didn’t satisfy me. I come from a training period in South Africa where I trained well, now I point at the Stramilano and then at the Italian Championships 10000m", said Rebecca Lonedo, first Italian on the podium.

"We are very pleased with how the event took place’ – said the President of Napoli Running Carlo Capalbo. “Naple presented itself dressed in an extraordinary light, and I am not referring to its beauty but to the fact that the people took to the streets and opened their hearts warmly hugging almost 5 thousand runners, this is the measure of our success. We will grow more and more, we will continue from here to look at the Naples that is projected among the world capitals of podiums," he added. ‘I thank everyone who ran, applauded, worked on this event, especially the volunteers who manage an immense amount of work, always with a smile,’ he concluded.

“We are really happy, we had a greater turnout than last year, this means that Naples is ready to grow more and more. The city responded positively, so many people were on the way to support the athletes, it is nice to give the whole world an image of sporty Naples, inclusive Naples - said the Sports Councillor Emanuela Ferrante -. We hope to have more and more participants and an even faster path that can still give us the glory of a new record.”

 

(02/26/2023) Views: 665 ⚡AMP

Napoli City Half Marathon is not being held live because of COVID-19

2020 has been a very hard year that has changed our lives, with our passion for running and well-being growing even stronger during these difficult times. Two months before the Napoli City Half Marathon we were ready to recreate the images that characterized one of the most beautiful half marathons in Italy, with over seven thousand participants from sixty countries around the world.

We were ready to welcome runners who would have run our event for the first time and others, who, year after year, are running with us and showing their passion for Naples and its half marathon. 

We were ready to welcome them and their families and hear their stories as they get to know or rediscover our beautiful city; running the Twingo Relay and the Family Run & Friends with the children.

At the same time, as much as passionate and motivated we are to build, after careful consultations with local and international (political and sports) institutions, we have to announce that due to the public health situation we are forced to cancel the Napoli City Half Marathon, originally scheduled on 28 February, 2021.

The safety of the runners is of utmost importance and we were guided by this absolute priority for our organization. Irrespective of this unfortunate development, we will remain close to the runners, we wish to motivate them to keep on running and training, and we want to share our passion and commitment. 

We are working on a digital event (virtual race + virtual expo) that will be announced in the coming weeks. All runners who have already registered for the Napoli City Half Marathon 2021 will have the options to:

1) Transfer their registration to the Napoli City Half Marathon 2022 sending an email to info@napolirunning.com with subject “Transfer registration to Napoli City Half Marathon 2022”

2) Request a full refund of the registration by sending an email to info@napolirunning.com - with subject line "Napoli City Half Marathon refund". This needs to be done within February 28, 2021 at the latest. 

3) Register for the Napoli City Half Marathon Virtual Race and ask, if due, for a refund of the difference in price between the cost of registration for the Napoli City Half Marathon and the cost of registration for the virtual event.

In this case, please send us an email to info@napolirunning.com - with subject "Napoli City Half Marathon 2021 digital".

We are looking forward to seeing you again soon.

(01/08/2021) Views: 1,156 ⚡AMP
by Carlo Capalbo

Napoli City Half Marathon to restart in February

The countdown for the Napoli City Half Marathon has started. The registrations are officially open for the 8th edition of the race, scheduled for February 28, 2021.

Napoli Running, a project of RunCzech, is ready to restart and with all health and safety measures advised by the Italian Institutions and FIDAL (the Italian Federation of Athletic), will organize an event which organizers call a “must” in the international calendar of road running.

The success of the 2020 edition, the last international mass participation event which took place in Europe before the lockdown, is still in the minds of the 7,000 runners, including 1500 visitors from 61 countries around the world.

The event has an economic impact on the Naples metropolitan area of approximately 4 million euro (4.7m USD), and is seen by more than 500 million viewers worldwide.

The Napoli City Half Marathon 2020 celebrated remarkable performances by the winners, Kenyan Henry Rono (RunCzech Racing) in 1:00:04 (a course record) and the compatriot Viola Cheptoo in 1:06:47, second fastest performance of all time on Italian soil.

2021’s route will start from Viale Kennedy and the Mostra d’Oltremare, and will lead the runners through the most fascinating areas of the city, running along the coast for more than 15km.

Organizers promise compliance with all the health and safety measures advised by the Italian authorities to ensure a safe event.

(08/27/2020) Views: 1,320 ⚡AMP

Previous Record Trounced at Napoli City Half Marathon

Kenyan’s Eliud Mwangi and Philip Kibungei ran well below the course record at the Napoli City Half Marathon today. The two crossed the tenth kilometer in an unofficial time of 28:35, a pace that, if they maintained, would bring them in under 61 minutes, but the climbs and a light wind slowed them in the second half of the race. The two fought to the last meter with a thrilling sprint to the finish, ending with both men having the same time of 1:01:21. Philip Kibungei was the winner in what was his debut in Europe at this distance. (02/04/2018) Views: 1,429 ⚡AMP

Over 4000 runners are expected to participate in the Napoli City Half Marathon

More than 4000 runners are expected to participate in the 5th annual race through the historic city, from the waterfront to the Castel dell’Ovo, the Teatro San Carlo to the Piazza del Plebiscito, the course will lead you through the most fascinating areas of Naples Italy, set in one of the most picturesque views of the Mediterranean. A strong elite field are aiming for sub 60 minute performances. (01/31/2018) Views: 1,571 ⚡AMP

Kigen, and Kandie of Kenya wiill Headline Napoli City Half Marathon

Nobert Kigen and Felix Kandie of Kenya headline a men’s pro field aiming for a sub-60 minute performance at the fifth Napoli City Half Marathon in Naples, Italy. February 4 will mark the fifth edition of the race and the second under the direction of Carlo Capalbo, a native of Napoli who serves as chairman of the IAAF Road Running Commission, and the president of the RunCzech Organization. Capalbo has made it his personal mission to bring a world-class running event to his hometown. (01/30/2018) Views: 1,626 ⚡AMP

Moen Set to Run the Napoli City Half Marathon

Sondre Nordstad Moen has confirmed the 5th Annual Napoli City Half Marathon on February 4 in Naples, Italy. Normally held in optimal conditions with the average temperature of 50F, the course goes through the most fascinating areas of the city, set in one of the most picturesque views of the Mediterranean. Moen had an amazing 2017. At the Fukuoka Marathon he set a new European Record 2:05:48. Before he improved to number three on the European half marathon list with 59:48, in Valencia. (01/23/2018) Views: 1,537 ⚡AMP