Running News Daily

Brigid Kosgei sets lofty ambitions at Lisbon Half Marathon as big bonus awaits

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to make history at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday as she seeks to use the race to tune up for next month’s London Marathon.

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to break her half marathon personal best during the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

The former marathon world record holder is using the Lisbon Half Marathon to gauge her level of preparedness for the London Marathon set to take place on April 21 and she feels she can lower her half marathon personal best of 1:04:49.

"I'm really happy to be here again. I wanted to run this race because I want to test my speed for London Marathon in April,” Kosgei said on Friday.

“I come here to see how my body respond. I'm feeling good, I'm happy, did a good preparation. The course is very fast and I hope to have a good race on Sunday. If the weather is good, I will try to break my personal best in half marathon.”

The 30-year-old is no stranger to the Portuguese capital having won the 2016 Lisbon Marathon but she will come up against a stellar field on Sunday, in want has been termed the fastest half marathon in the world.

Seeking to upstage her is compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London Marathon champion, whose last race was the Valencia Marathon in 2019 when she finished fourth.

There are also Kenyans Betty Chepkemoi, Pauline Esikom and Vivian Melly, Ethiopia’s Bosena Mulatie, fourth at the 2023 Istanbul Half Marathon and Senayet Getachew, the 2023 Junior World Cross-Country champion, who will be keen to upstage her.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under one hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

American Leonard Korir, third in the last month's US Olympic Marathon Trials, will also be in the race.

Korir achieved the needed spot in the podium, but not the time to guarantee the place in Paris. That's why he chose Lisbon to try to run a fast time, and maybe break the American record (59:43).

"I heard so many good things about the race, I heard that it's super fast. There were some guys that run fast here, like Jacob Kiplimo. I wanted to run something faster, and I told myself 'let me try to go to Lisbon',” said Korir.

“I heard the organisation is very good, the course is very nice. I just want to see if I can run a quick time, to see how my body feels before running a marathon in the near future,” added the 37-year-old American.

Lisbon Half Marathon oragnisers have set aside a €150,000 (Ksh22,044,775) bonus for new world records with the times to beat being 57:31 set by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, at this same race in 2021, and 1:02:54 by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia.

Brigid Kosgei fine tuning for London Marathon at Lisbon Half Marathon

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will be keen to gauge her form at the Lisbon Half Marathon ahead of her return to the London Marathon.

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei is the star attraction for the Lisbon Half Marathon, where she intends to have a great build-up for the London Marathon.

The 30-year-old will use the 21km race scheduled for Sunday, March 17 to gauge form and pace for the marathon that takes place in the capital city of England.

In addition to Kosgei, there will be other big names in the ladies' elite in Lisbon, with six more women with personal bests under 68 minutes.

Bosena Mulatie (65.46), Tigist Menigstu (66.20), and Betty Chepkemoi Kibet (66.37) will be hoping to stop Kosgei who suffered an injury last season and was forced to withdraw from the London Marathon.

Pauline Esikon (67.15), Vivian Melly (67.35) and Zewditu Aderaw Gelaw (67.25) are the other highlights beyond Kosgei.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under the hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

Meanwhile, several European athletes like the Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen (59.48), the Germans Amanal Petros (60.09) and Hendrik Pfeiffer (62.05), the Irish Stephen Scullion (61.08), Hélio Gomes and Rui Pinto have also confirmed participation. Brazilian Daniel do Nascimento, with a personal record of 61.03, will also be present, in what is his first race with Nike.

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.

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.

Kandie faces stiff opposition as he seeks to defend Valencia title

Former Valencia Half Marathon winner Kibiwott Kandie is among 14 Kenyans set to battle it out at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 22 in Spain.

Kandie, who holds the half marathon's best time of 57:32, will face tough competition from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha who holds a time of 58:32 (second best time in the marathon).

Kandie, the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon silver medalist, will be hoping to cement his name in Valencia and replicate his amazing performance back in 2020 when he set the record time in the race. 

The two will be joined by runners, who have clocked under 59 minutes in the race,  including Matthew Kimeli, winner of the 15th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in 2019 in Central Park, New York, who holds a time of 58:43. 

Sebastian Sawe, who holds a half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon,  will be gunning to take the title from Kandie.

The 2022 Standard Chartered Marathon 10km bronze medalist, Bravin Kiprop, who has a time of 59:22 in the half marathon, will also be among the challengers alongside Josephat Kiprotich who won the 38th edition of the Maratona da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June.

Other Kenyan athletes in the race include Brian Kwemoi (59:37), Hillary Kipkoech (59:41), Erick Sang (59:50), Weldon Langat (59:55), Laban Kiplimo (1:00.13) and Kelvin Kibiwott (1:00.14).

Ethiopian’s Tadese Worku, 3,000m medalist at the 2021 World Athletics U20, and 5,000m world 3,000m junior record holder,  Hagos Gebrhiwet will give the Kenyans a competitive race.

Great Britain's all-time number three, Callum Robert Hawkins (1:00:00), will be looking to pull an upset for the group.

The women's challenge will be led by the 2019 world 5,000m silver medallist, Margaret Chelimo who holds a time of 1:05:26 in the marathon and she will be joined by Janet Chepngetich.

The 2020 World Half Marathon silver medalist and current European record holder over the distance, Melat Kejeta from Germany together with Ethiopia’s  2023 world cross country silver medalist, Tsigie Gebreselama will give the Kenyan ladies a tough race.

Obiri and Kwemoi claim half marathon crowns in Istanbul

Hellen Obiri ran the 10th fastest ever women's half marathon and Rodgers Kwemoi broke the course record to win the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (27).

Both races got off to a blistering start and while the early world record pace could not be maintained on a sunny and breezy morning, Kenya's Obiri and Kwemoi held on to triumph by a big margin, beating two stong fields.

Two-time world 5000m champion Obiri ran 1:04:48 to win the women's race by more than a minute ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu and Bekelech Gudeta, while Kwemoi improved the men's course record to 59:15 to beat his training partner Daniel Mateiko (1:00:05) and Emmanuel Bor, who had started the race as a pacemaker.

The N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon was one of the few international races that went ahead last year during the pandemic and it ended with a world record by Ruth Chepngetich, the world marathon champion running 1:04:02. Since then, that women's world record has been improved to 1:02:52 by Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia and it was that mark the leaders were on target for in the early stages.

Running with a male pacemaker, Obiri was joined by Gemechu as they passed 5km in 14:45, putting them on a projected pace of just outside 62 minutes, with Ethiopia’s Bekelech Gudeta and Kenya’s Vicoty Chepngeno running together 10 seconds behind them. Turkey’s Yasemin Can was another 10 seconds back.

Speeding up further still, it was no surprise to see Obiri open a gap on Gemechu, but that pace could not be sustained in the windy conditions and the world cross-country champion had slowed by the 10km point, although that was still passed in 30:01. By that stage she was half a minute ahead of Gemechu, who had been caught by Chepngeno and Gudeta.

Obiri continued to forge ahead, passing 15km in 45:27 and 20km in 1:01:16 to eventually win in 1:04:48, improving both her time and position from the event 12 months earlier, when she was third behind Chepngetich in 1:04:51 – the fastest debut half marathon in history. Obiri currently sits fifth on the world all-time list with the 1:04:22 she ran to finish second at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon last month.

Gemechu, who won last year’s Copenhagen Half Marathon in a PB of 1:05:08, battled the challenge posed by Chepngeno and Gudeta and solo ran her way to second place in 1:05:52. Gudeta was third in 1:06:35, Chepngeno fourth in 1:06:58 and Can fifth in 1:07:57. The top 11 finished inside 70 minutes, while Moira Stewartova was just outside that and broke the Czech Republic record with 1:10:14 to finish 12th.

The men’s race leaders were also on pace to break Jacob Kiplimo’s world record of 57:31 set in Lisbon last year in the opening kilometres and Kwemoi, Mateiko and their compatriot Bor were just off that tempo through 5km in 13:40.That trio remained together as 10km was passed in 27:35 but then Kwemoi began to move away. The tempo was easing but he was still well in control, with a 20-second lead at 15km, which he passed in 41:34. That advantage had grown to 44 seconds by 20km (56:07) and he ran unchallenged to the finish line in 59:15 to improve the course record of 59:35 set by the then world record-holder Kibiwott Kandie last year.

Bor was 15 seconds behind runner-up Mateiko, running 1:00:20 for third place, while Kenya’s Edmond Kipngetich and Brian Kwemoi finished fourth and fifth with respective times of 1:00:30 and 1:00:50.

The top 10 were all under 62 minutes, with Ramazan Ozdemir being Turkey’s top finisher in 14th (1:04:02).

The event featured a record number of around 10,500 participants.