Running News Daily

Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP announces that Sifan Hassan, Fancy Chemutai and Gudeta Kebede are focused to set a new women’s world record

The Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP announces that two international athletes are joining those already on the quest to set a new women’s world record on the 27th of October in Valencia Ciudad del Running. The city has had this lofty goal since 2017.

This injection of new blood comes from one outstanding athlete: Sifan Hassan, joining others who have already confirmed their participation in the trial — Fancy Chemutai and Sembere Teferi. 

Their quest is none other than to break the world record set by Joyciline Jepkosgei (1:04:51).

The Dutch athlete of Ethiopian origin, Sifan Hassan, comes to Valencia with a best time of 1 hour 05:15 (Copenhagen 2018) and is one of the favorites to win a place on the podium. She holds various European records, including those for the Half-Marathon, and for the mile world record (the latter won this year). Sifa is undoubtedly one of the star attractions in the Valencia race.

Gudeta Kebede, who won the gold in the past IAAF / Valencia World Marathon Media Championship held in 2018 (1h06: 11), with world registration for races of only women included, will also fight for the victory next 27th October Kebede has a better personal mark of 1h05:45, held in Ras Al-Khaimah in 2019. 

Another athlete competing with them will be the Ethiopian runner Sembere Teferi (1 hour 05:45, who will also run in Doha four weeks before the trial in Valencia), as will her fellow-countrywoman and last year’s winner Gelete Burka (1 hour 06:11), and the Kenyan athletes Fancy Chemutai (1 hour 04:52) and Joan Chelimo (1 hour 05:04). This bevy of elite athletes make up a women’s ‘Dream Team’.

The Organizers will offer a special €70,000 prize (which is in addition to the rewards set out in the Regulations) for those athletes who set a new men’s or women’s world record, and award a bonus of €30,000 if the winner sets a time of under 58:00 for men or of under 1 hour 04:30 for women.

(10/24/2019) Views: 2,160 ⚡AMP

Some of the best elite runners from around the world, are set to compete today in the inaugural Bahrain Night Half-Marathon offering $100,000 to the winner

The prestigious race is being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and organised by BAA in cooperation with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, BOC, Asian Athletics Association and Tumooh Sports Management.

The event features separate categories for men and women over 21.1kms while there are also six-km events for those who want to run for fun and be a part of the biggest half-marathon in the region.

The participants include some of the biggest names in international long-distance running, such as world record holder in half-marathon Abraham Kiptum of Kenya.

Kiptum was upbeat yesterday heading into tonight’s event despite it being his first night race. Just last September he set his world record of 58 minutes 18 seconds in Valencia, Spain, and is confident he can maintain his fine form in Bahrain.

“Let’s hope we can be as strong as we can be,” Kiptum said. “Although it is my first night race, if the weather is good, the pace is good and if we can be strong, then we shall have a good time.

“I always train in the mornings so it is a little new to me, but I’ll do my best.”

Among the men’s elite runners who are expected to challenge Kiptum are Ethiopian Jemal Yimer Mekonnen and Bahraini Hassan Shani.

Among the women, reigning world champion and world record holder of a women-only race Netsanet Gudeta Kebede of Ethiopia is one of the pre-race favorites as is reigning women’s full marathon world champion Rose Chelimo of Bahrain.

Rose’s fellow-Bahraini Eunice Chumba, who is a bronze-medallist at last year’s World Half-Marathon Championships, will also be competing along with Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, who is a former gold-medallist in the World Cross Country Championships and a former silver medallist in the 5,000m.

Mekonnen, Shani, Netsanet, Eunice and Senebre were present with Nasser and Kiptum at yesterday’s press conference along with BAA technical director Taher Righi and renowned Ethiopian coach Haji Adilo.

“It is very important for us to do well in this race, especially since we are representing Bahrain. We will try our best to get a good time and also win,” said Eunice.

The men and women winners receive a prize money of $100,000 each. All runners finishing in the top ten in both categories will also win cash prizes totaling over $350,000 plus possible bonus money. 

There are bonuses of $30,000 for new world records.

(03/15/2019) Views: 2,448 ⚡AMP

Women's Half Marathon World Record Holder is Racing June 23

Three months after her world record run at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018, Ethiopian Netsanet Gudeta Kebede will be making her eagerly anticipated follow-up over the distance at the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Saturday June 23. Gudeta stormed to a 1:06:11 women’s-only race half marathon world record in the Spanish city on March 24, winning by 43 seconds. She's competed only once since, a fourth place finish at the TCS World 10km in Bengaluru, India, on May 27, where she clocked 31:53. She is going to have strong competition. Among the opposition assembled in this eastern Czech city of 100,000 is compatriot Aselefech Mergia, the world silver medallist over the distance in 2007 and world gold medallist in the marathon in 2009. She has a 1:07:21 best from 2011, and clocked 1:08:46 last year. Her best race this season came in New York in April where she finished second in the Healthy Kidney 10km in 32:06. Kenya comes armed with Antonina Kwambai, perhaps her fiercest challenger this weekend, who notched an impressive victory at the Paris Half Marathon on  March 4 in 1:08:07. That was the 26-year-old's second consecutive personal best this year, following her 1:09:07 run in Naples in February where she was second. The men's race features four men with personal bests under one hour.  The fastest is Jemal Yimer, the 21-year-old Ethiopian who clocked his 59:00 lifetime best at this year's Ras Al Khaimah Half in February where he finished second. His performance remains the third fastest of 2018. (06/22/2018) Views: 2,236 ⚡AMP
by IAAF

Geoffrey Kamworor wins third straight World Half title

The weather at the IAAF 2018 World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, Spain today was challenging. It was 63 degrees at the start with winds as strong as 26mph. But that did not stop Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor for winning his third straight title in 60:02. With the wind in their faces a group of about 30 passed the 10k mark 29:28. But things started changing and the wind helped pushed Geoffrey to an amazing 27:16 split from 10k to 20k. In fact according to Paula Radcliffe who was following the race for the IAAF, “he just ran 13:01 5k split! Could that be right?l”. It appears it was right. 24 men ran under 62 minutes and considering a slow start, this is outstanding...Netsanet Gudeta Kebede from Ethiopia set a new women only WR earlier (they started 25 minutes before the men) posting 1:06:11. (03/24/2018) Views: 2,285 ⚡AMP