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Articles tagged #Hillary Kipkoech
Today's Running News
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe set a world lead on his marathon debut, while Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu also captured a solid victory at the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso – a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label event – on Sunday (1).
Sawe’s winning time was 2:02:05, just 12 seconds off the fastest ever debut set by his compatriot Kelvin Kiptum two years ago and a mark that moves him to fifth on the world all-time list, while Alemu ran 2:16:49, just 15 seconds outside her lifetime best.
The men’s event had been billed as a thrilling showdown between experienced specialists such as Sisay Lemma, Deresa Geleta and Kenenisa Bekele, versus some promising debutants including Sawe and Hillary Kipkoech. Perfectly paced by a trio of pacemakers – Kenya’s Samwel Mailu, Erick Sang and Vincent Nyageo – the leading men went through the opening 5km in 14:31. That cadence was maintained until the leading pack reached the 10km checkpoint in 29:04 and 15km in 43:39. By then, nine athletes remained at the helm including all the favourites, Geleta and Lemma running closest to the pacemakers.
The halfway mark was passed in 1:01:17, 42 seconds slower than last year’s split when Lemma set the course record of 2:01:48. Unlike last year, when he performed conservatively over the first half, Bekele was running quite bravely as the 42-year-old travelled in third or fourth place. But some two kilometres later, the multiple Olympic and world champion began to lose ground and by the 28th kilometre the relentless 2:55/km rhythm whittled down the leading pack to five: Kenya’s Mateiko and Sawe plus Ethiopia’s Geleta, Lemma and Birhanu Legese.
Once the last pacemaker dropped out with the clock reading 1:33, Lemma began to falter to lose any chance of retaining his title. At the front, Mateiko and Geleta broke away from Sawe and Legese, those pairs separated by 30 metres inside the 32nd kilometre. It was Mateiko, who was not able to finish the Chicago 2023 and London 2024 marathons, who seemed to decide the victory was in his favour shortly afterwards as he became a lonesome leader. The three-time Valencia half-marathon podium place finisher had built a five-second gap on Sawe and Geleta, while Legese could not maintain that pace and travelled in fourth place way back.
Mateiko’s getaway proved to be short-lived as he was reeled in by Sawe and Geleta at the 36th kilometre, when the predicted final time remained at 2:02:35. It was then that the eventual winner found another gear to speed away easily from Mateiko and Geleta, who finished fifth at the Paris Olympics. Sawe, who has completed all his nine half marathons under the 60-minute barrier, upped his pace to the 2:48/2:50 range to gradually extend his lead. By the 40km point he clocked 1:55:42, 20 seconds ahead of Geleta, while a tired Mateiko travelled another 35 seconds in arrears.
Sawe showed a magnificent display of solo running over the closing kilometres, going faster and faster as the end was approaching to finally finish unopposed in a world leading performance of 2:02:05, including a 14:06 closing five kilometres.
Geleta, the Seville Marathon winner, improved his career best to 2:02:38 for second place, while Mateiko slowed dramatically over the final stages but still managed to finish the distance at the third time of asking in 2:04:24, holding off a late challenge from Tanzania’s 2017 world bronze medallist Alphonce Simbu.
Simbu achieved a perfectly balanced two halves (1:02:13/1:02:25) to finish fourth in a PB of 2:04:38, two seconds clear of the 42-year-old Swiss athlete Tadesse Abraham, who clocked a lifetime best and national record of 2:04:40 for fifth. In a race of an incredible depth, 10 men ducked under the 2:05 milestone while Bekele dropped out shortly after the 31st kilometre.
Sawe, the world half marathon champion, has won seven out of his nine half marathon appearances, topped by a 58:02 time in Rome in 2022. His two defeats came in Valencia, so Sunday’s performance marks his first victory in the city.
The winner, whose two halves were timed at 1:01:18 and 1:00:47, said: “Honestly, I had built up very good for this debut and was quite confident of doing well. It’s an amazing day, I’m so happy to be here and win in Valencia, which is so beautiful.
“I was used to running the half marathon event, I was comfortable during the first half, then I was close to the helm of the race and I thought I could go faster and I just did it. I dedicate this win to the victims of the Valencia floods, I pray for them.”
Alemu confirms she is the strongest
Following the withdrawal of Ethiopia’s course record-holder Amane Beriso due to a stress fracture, the women’s contest kicked off at the scheduled 3:12 rhythm on an attempt to lower the current 2:14:58 course record set in 2022. The opening five and 10 kilometres were covered in 16:02 and 32:03, respectively, and by then all the favourites stayed in the leading pack, with Alemu joined by her compatriot Tiruye Mesfin, Uganda’s Stella Chesang and Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir. The clock read 47:56 for the 15th kilometre and that cadence proved to be too quick for Mesfin and Chirchir, that pair running 18 seconds in arrears by then.
Running alongside lots of male athletes, Alemu and the Paris Olympics eighth-place finisher Chesang went through halfway in 1:07:15, well on schedule to break Beriso’s record, with Mesfin and Chirchir some 300 metres back timed at 1:08:06 but quick enough to set respective career bests. Chesang’s resistance came to an end some 1:11 into the race when she just could not stay with Alemu’s pace. The Ethiopian managed to maintain her speed until the 30th kilometre, which she reached in 1:35:55, but from then on the 27-year-old dropped her rhythm as she timed 16:48 for the following two five-kilometre sections (30-40km) and her chances of a course record clearly vanished.
Even so, Alemu’s win was never in jeopardy as she strengthened gradually her advantage on Chesang to 40 seconds by the 30th kilometre and a massive 1:21 at the 40km checkpoint, while Mesfin easily got rid of Chirchir just before reaching the 25th kilometre. At the tape, Alemu posted her second quickest ever time thanks to a 2:16:49 clocking, while the runner-up Chesang broke the 2:20 barrier for the first time in a national record of 2:18:26. Mesfin completed the classy podium, also improving her lifetime best by 12 seconds with 2:18:35.
“I know I can do a better mark but I’m happy to win today,” said Alemu. “Between 35 and 40 kilometres I wasn’t feeling good, so I decided to reduced my rhythm. At the finish line, all the people were clapping and that was really special. I can feel today it’s a different day for Valencia.”
It is only in recent weeks that event organisers were able to confirm that the race would go ahead. At the end of October, the province of Valencia was hit by extreme floods, claiming the lives of 229 people. The natural disaster lasted for more than two weeks, causing substantial damage in the area. Organisers confirmed that all the proceeds from the sponsors, the organisation’s own funds and the runners will be donated to one or more projects for the reconstruction of the affected areas.
Leading results
Women1 Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:492 Stella Chesang (UGA) 2:18:263 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:354 Evaline Chirchir (KEN) 2:20:335 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 2:21:436 Chimdesa Kumsa (ETH) 2:21:547 Laura Luengo (ESP) 2:22:318 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:22:599 Moira Stewartova (CZE) 2:23:4410 Sara Hall (USA) 2:23:45
Men1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:052 Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:383 Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:244 Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 2:04:385 Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:04:406 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:447 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:04:458 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 2:04:459 Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:5610 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:59
(12/01/2024) Views: 122 ⚡AMPThe Trinidad Alfonso EDP Valencia Marathon is held annually in the historic city of Valencia which, with its entirely flat circuit and perfect November temperature, averaging between 12-17 degrees, represents the ideal setting for hosting such a long-distance sporting challenge. This, coupled with the most incomparable of settings, makes the Valencia Marathon, Valencia, one of the most important events in...
more...The debuting quartet of Sebastian Sawe, Daniel Mateiko, Mathew Kimeli, and Hillary Kipkoech will attempt to challenge the Ethiopian dominance at the Valencia Marathon
The Kenyan athletics scene will once again be in the spotlight as four formidable runners Sebastian Sawe, Daniel Mateiko, Mathew Kimeli, and Hillary Kipkoech gear up to challenge Ethiopia's dominance at the Valencia Marathon on December 1.
Each member of this Kenyan quartet has established themselves as a powerhouse in road running and half marathons, promising an electrifying race against a star-studded Ethiopian lineup.
Leading the charge for the Kenyan team is Sebastian Sawe, the reigning World Road Running champion.
Sawe has completed all nine of his half marathons under the coveted 60-minute mark, boasting a personal best (PB) of 58:02.
Close on his heels is Mateiko, another consistent performer who has clocked sub-59-minute times on seven occasions, making him one of the most reliable half-marathoners in the world.
Kipkoech, who holds a PB of 59:22, enters the marathon as a serious contender after previously pacing Ethiopian course record holder Sisay Lemma in 2023.
Kimeli who triumphed at the 2023 Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Thailand with a time of 1:03:39, adds another layer of depth to Kenya’s challenge.
The Kenyan quartet will face stiff competition from a stellar Ethiopian team led by Sisay Lemma, the Valencia Marathon course record holder.
Lemma’s breathtaking 2:01:48, set last year, ranks as the sixth-fastest marathon time in history.
Following his Valencia triumph, Lemma claimed the Boston Marathon title earlier this year with a time of 2:06:17.
Joining Lemma is Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele, whose PB of 2:01:41 makes him the fastest man in the field.
Bekele, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion, continues to be a force at the marathon distance, ranking third on the all-time list.
The Ethiopian roster further includes two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese, winner of the 2021 Berlin Marathon Guye Adola and Olympian Deresa Geleta who placed fifth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
(11/20/2024) Views: 174 ⚡AMPThe Trinidad Alfonso EDP Valencia Marathon is held annually in the historic city of Valencia which, with its entirely flat circuit and perfect November temperature, averaging between 12-17 degrees, represents the ideal setting for hosting such a long-distance sporting challenge. This, coupled with the most incomparable of settings, makes the Valencia Marathon, Valencia, one of the most important events in...
more...Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw secured a third win in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon women's event as Kenya's Alex Nzioka Matata earned men's victory.
Yehualaw, who won the 2022 London Marathon, was well clear by halfway and her finishing time of 65 minutes and 34 seconds in wet and windy conditions left her one minute and 16 seconds clear of compatriot Loice Chemnung.
2021 London Marathon winner Joyciline Jepkosgei was expected to be Yehualaw's main challenger but had to settle for third place a minute and 33 seconds off the pace.
Amid the inclement weather on the 13-mile course in and around Larne, Yehualaw's winning time was well outside her personal best of 63:51.
Yehualaw, 25, thought she had set a new world record in her first run in the Northern Ireland event in 2021 after crossing the line in 63:44 but that time was not ratified after the course was found to be 54 metres short.
In the men's race, Nzioka Matata, 27, produced a brilliant run in the awful weather conditions to break 60 minutes as he clocked 59 minutes and 48 seconds.
The Kenyan's time was only 11 seconds outside his personal best set when he won the Padova Half Marathon in Italy earlier this year.
Nzioka Matata's winning time left 41 seconds ahead of compatriot Hillary Kipkoech (60:29) with Ethiopia's twice Tokyo Marathon winner Birhanu Legese a further one second back in third place.
The winner broke clear of the world's sixth fastest ever marathon runner Legese just after halfway and was never threatened thereafter.
(08/26/2024) Views: 224 ⚡AMPThe MEA Antrim Coast Half Marathon 2022 has been approved by World Athletics as an Elite Event. The World Athletics certified course takes in some of the most stunning scenery in Europe, combined with some famous landmarks along the route. With it's flat and fast course, the race is one of the fastest half marathons in the world. Starting...
more...Hillary Kipkoech of Kenya and Stella Chesang of Uganda won the Gifu Half Marathon on Sunday in the times of 1:01:26 and 1:07:59 respectively.
The men
In the men’s race, Kipkoech, defending champion Amos Kurgat, and Timothy Kiplagat both of Kenya ran together with others and led from the beginning. In warm conditions, the lead runner in the pack kept changing, but around 14km, Kipkoech and Kurgat pulled away from the rest, and the battle for victory was narrowed down to the two runners.
At an uphill after the water station with 3km left to go, Kipkoech pulled away winning his first title of the Gifu Half Marathon in the time 1:01:26. Kurgat came in second in 1:01:38 and Kiplagat in third in 1:01:55.
The top Japanese runner was Hideyuki Tanaka clocking a 1:02:31 finish time. The 33-year-old clocked a personal best in February during the Marugame Half Marathon with his 1:01:13 performance.
The women
In the women’s race, three powerful athletes of Chesang, two-time defending champion, Dolphine Nyaboke Omare of Kenya, and the 2023 Asian Games Champion Eunice Chebichii Chumba of Bahrain led the race. As Chumba started to lag behind at around 10km, the race turned into a two-women battle between Chesang and Omare.
The duo ran side by side until Chesang spurred off at around 18km to run solo. Chesang achieved her first victory in Gifu and a new personal best in 1:07:59. Omare finished in second in 1:08:31 and Chumba third in 1:09:10.
The top Japanese woman was Rinka Hida with her 1:12:07 performance. The 23-year-old set her best last year in Osaka at 1:10:10.
The 13th edition race was held under sunny, clear skies in an unprecedented heat of 28 degrees Celsius, making the city the stage for a ‘hot race’ both literally and figuratively.
(04/30/2024) Views: 643 ⚡AMPThe Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running competition held in Gifu, Japan. First held in 2011, the race is also called the Naoko Takahashi Cup, named after Naoko Takashi, the retired local runner who won the marathon at the 2000 Sidney Olympics and broke the marathon world record in 2001, becoming the first woman to...
more...Likina Amebaw, Jemal Yimer, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Caroline Nyaga were among the winners as athletes descended on Paris for the Festival of Running ASICS Speed Race 5km and 10km events on Friday (5).
Competition took place on an iconic 2.5km loop that started and finished at Palais-Royal in the shadow of the Louvre.
Ethiopia’s Amebaw and Kenya’s Loice Chemnung both dipped under 30 minutes in the women’s 10km, with Amebaw clocking a PB of 29:56 to win and Chemnung finishing just one second behind her. They were joined by Kenya’s Miriam Chebet during the first half of the race but Chebet was unable to maintain the pace and finished third in 30:41.
Finishing fourth, Nadia Battocletti improved her own Italian record to 31:19.
“It was a very amazing race. It was a fast race – I ran under 30 minutes, so I liked it,” said Amebaw, who was recently confirmed as joint runner-up in the 2023-2024 World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
She also voiced her ambition to return to Paris to compete in the No.1 Olympic sport at the Games in August.
“I have got to work hard, and I hope I will be at the Olympic Games,” she said. “Now I will get ready for track competition.”
Less than three weeks after his Seoul Marathon win in a PB of 2:06:08, Ethiopia’s Yimer matched his 10km best, running 27:43 to win the men’s race, also by one second.
Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech was runner-up in 27:44 and his compatriot Vincent Kibet was third in 27:48.
Ethiopia’s multiple world and Olympic 5000m medallist Gebrhiwet was racing a couple of weeks out from his African Games 5000m victory, which followed a 5km win in the rain at the Podium Festival in Leicester, UK. In Paris he won the men’s 5km in 13:24 ahead of Mohamed Ismael (13:32) and Adel Mechaal (13:34).
Kenya’s Nyaga, who also raced in Leicester where she finished second, this time topped the women’s 5km as she secured a dominant win in 14:40 over Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek and Belinda Chemutai, who ran 15:03 and 15:05, respectively.
(04/06/2024) Views: 641 ⚡AMP
Former world record-holders Kibiwott Kandie and Joyciline Jepkosgei secured a Kenyan double at the Edreams Mitja Zurich Marato Barcelona, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday (11).
Held in pleasant weather conditions (10C and no wind) Jepkosgei took eight seconds off the course record by clocking 1:04:29 to move to sixth on the world all-time list. Kandie, the second-fastest man in history for the distance, triumphed with a 59:22 clocking after being challenged by his compatriot RoncerKonga for much of the race.
After the withdrawal of 2019 world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich, the women’s event became a duel between Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s SenberiTeferi. That duo, along with Kenya’s Gladys Chepkirui, followed the pacemaker through the opening five kilometers in a brisk 15:19.
Jepkosgei and Teferi then broke away and reached the 10km checkpoint in 30:19, 21 seconds ahead of Chepkirui. Further back, Britain’s Jessica Warner-Judd was in fourth position, passing through 10km in 31:32 and well on schedule to improve her lifetime best.
Jepkosgei and Teferi continued their relentless rhythm throughout the second half of the race, clocking 45:34 for 15km, almost a full minute ahead of Chepkurui (46:30) with the Briton a further minute adrift.
The key moment came during the 18th kilometre when 2015 world 5000m silver medallistTeferi could no longer keep with Jepkosgei’s 3:03/km cadence and gradually lost ground. By 20km (1:01:02), Jepkosgei had a solid 14-second lead on her rival and was on pace to break the course record of 1:04:37, set last year.
The 2018 world half marathon silver medalist crossed the line in a course record of 1:04:29, also improving her lifetime best – set when finishing second here last year – by 17 seconds. Teferi finished second but was rewarded with a big PB of 1:04:40 to move to 10th on the world all-time list.
Chepkurui completed a classy podium in 1:06:34 and Warner-Judd was fourth in a PB of 1:07:07.
“I finished second here last year, so I was determined to win today,” said Jepkosgei, whose winning time is also a world-leading mark. “The course record and PB are bonuses.”
The men’s contest kicked off at a moderate 2:53/km cadence with all the main favorites in close attendance in the guise of Kandie, his compatriots Hillary Kipkoech, Emmanuel Moi Maru, RoncerKonga, Mathew Kimeli and Ethiopians DinkalemAyele and ChindessaDebeleGudeta. Swedish debutant AndreasAlmgren, four weeks after his national 10km record of 27:20 in Valencia, was also in the pack.
After an opening 5km of 14:22, the second section was covered in a quicker 13:49 but the large lead group still remained intact. Once the pacemaker had finished his job, it was the relatively unheralded Konga who broke away from the pack while three-time Valencia Half Marathon winner Kandie decided to remain in the chasing group.
Konga had built an 11-second advantage over his pursuers by the 15km checkpoint (42:02), but Kandie, Kipkoech, Ayele, Maru, Kimeli and Almgren all had Konga in their sights.
Kandie, who lowered his marathon PB to 2:04:48 in Valencia two months ago, made a move with two kilometers to go and soon managed to catch Konga. The duo ran together for just over half a kilometer before Kandie found another gear to pull away and secure victory in 59:22.
Former track specialist Almgren overtook Konga and Ayele in the closing stages to finish just one second behind Kandie in a national record of 59:23, making him the second-fastest European of all time.
Konga managed to hold on to third place in 59:28, two seconds ahead of Ayele.
“When Konga broke away, I preferred to stay quiet and relaxed,” said Kandie, who has been training in Xiamen for most of January. “I was confident of winning in the end and it finally happened.”
(02/12/2024) Views: 545 ⚡AMPThe half-marathon in Barcelona, also known as the Mitja Marató de Barcelona. It’s the second largest running event in Barcelona next to the Marathon. The route takes the runners from the Arc de Triomf, by the old town to the Plaça Catalunya. From there it goes down the famous Ramblas and along Avenida del Paral·lel. Then it goes through the...
more...Joyciline Jepkosgei will seek to go one step further and win the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday after finishing second last year.
Barcelona returns to the Spanish city where she clocked 01:04:46 behind winner Irine Kimais (01:04:37) while Catherine Reline (01:05:39) and Gladys Chepkurui (01:05:46) finished third and fourth.
Jepkosgei warmed up for the event with a second-place finish during Saturday's Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, timing 33:10 in the senior women's 10km race at Lobo Village, Eldoret. Immaculate Anyango won the race in 32:55.
Jepkosgei was using the Lobo event for speed training. “I will be competing at the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday and I wanted to use the cross country as part of my training ahead of the Spanish race,” said Jepkosgei.
In November 2019, Jepkosgei won the New York City Marathon in her official debut, clocking 2:22:38, the second fastest time on the course for women.
The 30-year-old further won the 2021 London Marathon in 2:17:43 making her the seventh fastest female marathoner in history.
She placed seventh at the 2022 Boston Marathon before finishing second at the London Marathon (2:18:07) behind Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:17:26). She finished second at the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.
At the 2017 Prague Half Marathon, she broke four world records — 30:05 over 10k, 45:37 over 15k, 61:25 in 20k and won the race in a record 1:04:52.
Joining her in the elite women's race will be two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich.
The 29-year-old first won the Chicago Marathon in 2021 before defending it the following year in 2:14:18, a personal best by almost three minutes and just 14 seconds outside of compatriot Brigid Kosgei's then world record of 2:14.04.
Also in the mix is 2023 Bangsaen21 Half Marathon champion Gladys Chepkurui.
Leading the men's elite race is Valencia Half Marathon champion Kibiwott Kandie.
Kandie set a new half marathon world record with a time of 57:32 in the 2020 Valencia Half marathon, obliterating the previous record set by Geoffrey Kamworor by almost half a minute.
He won the race two more times — 2022 and 2023.
Kandie set a course record of 59:32 at the Istanbul Half Marathon in 2021.
He will be joined by Bahrain Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo, Mathew Kimeli nd Hillary Kipkoech.
(02/08/2024) Views: 515 ⚡AMPThe half-marathon in Barcelona, also known as the Mitja Marató de Barcelona. It’s the second largest running event in Barcelona next to the Marathon. The route takes the runners from the Arc de Triomf, by the old town to the Plaça Catalunya. From there it goes down the famous Ramblas and along Avenida del Paral·lel. Then it goes through the...
more...Kibiwott Kandie and Ruth Chepngetich will lead strong fields to the Barcelona Half Marathon with the aim of shattering the course records.
The race organizers of the 34th Barcelona Half Marathon have expressed their thrill ahead of the event set for Sunday February 11 with more than 28,000 confirming participation in the largest half marathon in Spain and the second largest in Europe.
The organizers have also expressed interest in achieving new course records in both the men’s and women’s races. The men’s course record currently stands at 58:53 while the women’s is 1:04:37.
They will be banking on the 23 international elite athletes who will be competing for the top prize. In the men's field, Kibiwott Kandie stands out.
The three-time Valencia Half Marathon champion and former world record holder over the distance will be aspiring for a podium finish.
Also seeking for top honors will be Prague Half Marathon winner Philemon Kiplimo, Mathew Kimeli (58:43), and Hillary Kipkoech (59:22).
Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay will also be in the mix with the hope of having a great build-up ahead of his return to the Boston Marathon.
In the women’s race, the rival to beat will be two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich. She is the 2019 World Marathon champion and also holds the fourth fastest time over the distance.
Her main opponent will be her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei, runner-up in the world half marathon in 2018 and who already ran the Mitja de Barcelona achieving a personal best of 1:04:46.
The formidable duo will be joined by the Ethiopian Senbere Teferi and another Kenyan, Gladys Chepkurui, both with achieving under one hour and six minutes.
(02/02/2024) Views: 489 ⚡AMPThe half-marathon in Barcelona, also known as the Mitja Marató de Barcelona. It’s the second largest running event in Barcelona next to the Marathon. The route takes the runners from the Arc de Triomf, by the old town to the Plaça Catalunya. From there it goes down the famous Ramblas and along Avenida del Paral·lel. Then it goes through the...
more...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.
(09/11/2023) Views: 761 ⚡AMPThe Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Half Marathon has become one of the top running events in the world. Valencia is one of the fastest half marathon in the world. The race, organized by SD Correcaminos Athletics Club, celebrated its silver anniversary in style with record participation, record crowd numbers, Silver label IAAF accreditation and an atmosphere that you will not find...
more...Commonwealth Games 5,000m silver medalist Nicholas Kimeli and Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu have secured their tickets to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary after taking the 1-2 positions during the ongoing National Trials at the Nyayo National Stadium.
A pack of more than 10 athletes braved through the chilly afternoon with the hope of making the cut to the national team but only the duo managed to be selected successfully.
Among the pack were some of the top 10,000m stars, including Kibiwott Kandie, Simiu and Bernard Kibet. After five laps, Kibet of Central Rift was looking comfortable leading the pack which was still intact.
Kimeli and Simiu overtook Kibet to take third place but after 4,000m, Kandie took the mantle as he crossed the mark in 11:08.00. At this point, the pack had started dropping off and Weldon Langat and Hillary Kipkoech were trailing.
The unpredictable race saw Kimeli take the mantle after 6,000m and he was now looking comfortable with Simiu following closely behind him. Shortly after, Simiu overtook Kipkorir after 16 laps but his reign was short-lived as Kipkorir took over again.
After 17 laps, the leading pack now consisted of six athletes both looking poised and ready for title contention. The race would become a battle between Kandie, Simiu and Kimeli with Kibet following closely.
With one lap to go, Kimeli was still leading the trio and with the finish line in sight, he unleashed a finishing kick to outshine Simiu and Kibet. He crossed the line in 27:20.84, unofficial time.
In a post-race interview, he expressed excitement to have won the race and noted that he might opt to double in both the 10,000m and 5,000m since he had a wild card in the 12.5 lap-race.
He said: "We urge Kenyans not to lose hope in us because something good will come home. They should keep us in their prayers. We are okay in endurance and we have to improve on our speed."
(07/07/2023) Views: 655 ⚡AMPFrom August 19-27, 2023, Budapest will host the world's third largest sporting event, the World Athletics Championships. It is the largest sporting event in the history of Hungary, attended by athletes from more than 200 countries, whose news will reach more than one billion people. Athletics is the foundation of all sports. It represents strength, speed, dexterity and endurance, the...
more...Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo broke the world record* at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday (21), clocking 57:31 at the World Athletics Label road race.
The world half marathon champion won by more than two minutes and took one second off the previous world record set by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in Valencia last year.
Kiplimo, who finished third in the 10,000m and fifth in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, passed through the first 5km in 13:40, having already dropped the rest of the field.
By the time he reached 10km in 27:05, he had a lead of about one minute over the chase pack and was well on schedule to break Kandie’s world record.
Kiplimo passed through 15km in 40:27, the fastest time ever recorded for the distance and indicative of a sub-57-minute finish. With no nearby competitors to work off, Kiplimo’s pace dropped slightly in the closing stages, but he managed to just finish inside the world record, crossing the line in 57:31.
Ethiopia’s Esa Huseyidin Mohamed finished second in 59:39, just ahead of compatriot Gerba Beyata Dibaba, who was given the same time for third place. The top nine men all finished inside 60 minutes.
The women’s race was a close affair as Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu won in 1:06:06 from Kenya’s Daisy Cherotich (1:06:15) and Joyce Chepkemoi (1:06:19).
Leading results
Women1 Tsehay Gemechu (ETH) 1:06:062 Daisy Cherotich (KEN) 1:06:153 Joyce Chepkemoi (KEN) 1:06:194 Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 1:08:005 Vibian Chepkirui (KEN) 1:08:026 Ethlemahu Sintayehu Dessi (ETH) 1:08:167 Yitayish Mekonene Agidew (ETH) 1:08:188 Jess Piasecki (GBR) 1:09:449 Tsige Haileslase Abreha (ETH) 1:10:3110 Debash Kelali Desta (ETH) 1:11:01
Men1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 57:312 Esa Huseyidin Mohamed (ETH) 59:393 Gerba Beyata Dibaba (ETH) 59:394 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 59:415 Ibrahim Hassan (DJI) 59:416 Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 59:487 Antenayehu Dagnachaw (ETH) 59:488 Edmond Kipngetich (KEN) 59:499 Isaac Kipsang (KEN) 59:5210 Solomon Berihu Weldeslassie (ETH) 1:00:00
(11/21/2021) Views: 1,364 ⚡AMPEDP Lisbon Half Marathonis an annual internationalhalf marathoncompetition which is contested every March inLisbon,Portugal. It carries World Athletics Gold Label Road Racestatus. The men's course record of 57:31 was set byJacob Kiplimoin 2021, which was the world record at the time. Kenyanrunners have been very successful in the competition, accounting for over half of the total winners, withTegla Loroupetaking the...
more...The World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe, says he understands the nervousness in Japan over hosting an Olympics during a pandemic – but believes the Games will go ahead safely after attending a half marathon test event in Sapporo on Wednesday.
Japan is battling a resurgence in coronavirus infections and opinion polls consistently find the majority of the public is opposed to the Games, which are due to open on 23 July.
Those concerns have been exacerbated by a slow vaccine rollout, with much of the country also under a state of emergency, and Coe said he recognised that many Japanese people had concerns.
“We take that nervousness very, very seriously,” he said. “We have Covid protocols that have been tried and tested, and I’ve witnessed them here. We take very seriously the health and wellbeing of local communities.”
“But the challenges are big. I don’t believe any Olympic Games has been delivered under more difficult circumstances. These Games have an overlay of complexity that is beyond most comprehension.”
There was a muted atmosphere during the test event as security guards stood with signs around their necks asking people to “please refrain from watching the race” to prevent infections.
However, a few onlookers ignored their pleas and clapped as Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech won the men’s race in 1hr 46sec and Japan’s Mao Ichiyama won the women’s race in 1hr 8min 28sec.
Tokyo 2020’s deputy executive director of games operations, Yasuo Mori, said no one had tested positive for Covid-19, with the 69 athletes made to stay in hotels with no contact with the public.
Organizers will decide next month whether fans can attend events, but supporters from abroad have already been banned. However, Coe said that even if there were no crowds in stadiums “the Games will still take place and the competition will still be extremely good”.
Coe, who was head of the 2012 London Olympics, said it was “really important that when the world looks to coming out of Covid that it can see optimism.
“ The Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games will be totemic of that optimism and hope going forward. So it is important that the Games are delivered successfully and they’re delivered safely.”
Tokyo is officially spending £11.1bn to hold the Olympics, but some estimates say it is twice that much. The IOC is pushing on with the Games, partly because 73% of its income is from selling broadcast rights.
(05/05/2021) Views: 1,235 ⚡AMPFifty-six years after having organized the Olympic Games, the Japanese capital will be hosting a Summer edition for the second time, originally scheduled from July 24 to August 9, 2020, the games were postponed due to coronavirus outbreak, the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8 in 2021, according to the International Olympic Committee decision. ...
more...Japan’s Mao Ichiyama and Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech cruised to half marathon PBs on the grounds of Hokkaido University in Sapporo on Wednesday, at the official test event for the Tokyo Olympics road races.
The course is similar to the first half of the marathon route that will be used for this year’s Olympic Games, and the race attracted a small elite field comprising some of Japan’s leading marathon contenders along with a handful of international athletes who were keen to get a feel for the streets of Sapporo.
Ichiyama, who booked her spot on Japan’s Olympic marathon team after winning in Nagoya at the end of 2020, fellow Olympic team member Ayuko Suzuki and team reserve Matsuda Mizuki set off at a swift pace alongside three male pace makers, passing through the first 5km in 16:10.
Their pace eased slightly approaching the half-way point, having reached 10km in 32:39, but they picked it up again at the start of the second half and covered the next five-kilometer section in 15:48.
Suzuki stuck with her compatriots until the final few kilometers and, unable to match their pace, started to drift behind. With about two kilometers to go, Ichiyama opened up a gap of about 25 meters on Mizuki and still looked extremely comfortable. The gap didn’t grow significantly in the closing stages, but Ichiyama did just enough to keep her opponent at bay.
Ichiyama crossed the line in a PB of 1:08:28 with Mizuki following close behind in 1:08:32. Suzuki finished third in 1:08:53.
Honami Maeda, who won Japan’s Marathon Grand Championship race in 2019 to secure her Olympic spot, ran solo for much of the race, in between the lead trio and the main chase pack. She was overtaken by Germany’s Katharina Steinruck in the final kilometer as Steinruck finished fourth in 1:10:43, seven seconds ahead of Maeda.
Kipkoech, who clocked a world-leading 27:35 for 10km just 11 days prior, broke away from the rest of the men’s field just before the half-way point. He passed through 5km in 14:35 as part of the lead pack but then opened up some distance a few kilometres later, reaching 10km in 28:59 with a four-second lead over fellow Kenyan Simon Kariuki.
By the time Kipkoech reached 15km in 42:49, his lead over Kariuki had grown to 12 seconds, while the main chase pack was a further 44 seconds adrift.
Kipkoech went on to win in a personal best of 1:00:46 with Kariuki taking second place in 1:01:11. Shin Kimura was the top Japanese finisher, placing third in 1:01:46. Olympic team member Yuma Hattori, opting not to race flat-out and to use the event as a dress rehearsal, finished 24th in 1:02:59.
(05/05/2021) Views: 1,344 ⚡AMPFifty-six years after having organized the Olympic Games, the Japanese capital will be hosting a Summer edition for the second time, originally scheduled from July 24 to August 9, 2020, the games were postponed due to coronavirus outbreak, the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8 in 2021, according to the International Olympic Committee decision. ...
more...Behind the scenes of ASICS’ “BE(AT) Your Personal Best” event.
It’s 8:00 am in the French woodland area of Morton, Domaine du Bois aux Daims, on April 24. Situated almost 300 miles from the country’s capital, a select group of Europe’s top runners, including Julien Wanders and Sondre Nordstad Moen, ponder at the start line of ASICS’ “(BE)AT Your Personal Best”, with some preparing for their first taste of competitive running in almost a year.
Lanyard-wearing event organizers disguised behind heavy-duty facemasks scurry around frantically with walkie-talkies and clipboards in hand, as a select few press and photographers scout out the best view points along the course.
While, from the outside, it might look like any other pre-race meet, the events past year have made things a lot more complex.
Of course a return to a resemblance of normal doesn’t come without its barriers. Following a number of elite-only events like last year’s London Marathon, a handful of behind-closed-doors championships have taken place across the world, many of which have resulted subsequent positive COVID tests. Such is the worry, more recently with the Tokyo Olympicsjust a few months away, both the Jamaican and U.S. relay teams joined a host of others in withdrawing from the upcoming World Relay Championships.
(Photos by Anne-Sophie Soudoplatoff)
This trial and error approach to the now-successful return of athletics has created many barriers to overcome for an event to go ahead which can be both time-consuming and costly — something of an issue to a sport renowned for its severe underfunding in a vast majority of countries. Such barriers, though, for ASICS(TOKYO:7936.T +0.68%) are seen more as a hurdle — and one they’re keen to clear.
Taking place just West of Paris, in the heart of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, ASICS created a biosecure bubble within a Center Parcs location. Alongside negative COVID tests prior to travelling, upon arrival and before departure, each athlete resided alone in separate accommodation, with food and drink delivered to their doors.
For ASICS itself, the event was more than just another race. Three months in the making (a relatively short lead time in this field), the occasion marked the brand’s return to hosting live events and the follow-up to the launch of its new METASPEED Sky sneaker — ASICS’ answer to the “super shoe”. Equipped with a full-length carbon plate and a design that intends to improve its users overall performance, “(BE)AT Your Personal Best” was not only a test of the runners’ current condition in an Olympic year — but a test run of the sneaker itself too.
The 2.5km course saw runners head out along a wide asphalt path, before looping around a roundabout and back to the start. With near-on idyllic running conditions (a slight breeze, but nothing to be considered a headwind) and months of planning and testing behind them, the scene was finally set.
Pre-event much of the talk was about the current the European 10km and half marathon record-holder Julien Wanders’ planned attempt at attacking the 5km record too, but a bout of pneumonia two weeks prior saw him fall off the pace just over halfway. Instead it was Kenya’s Boniface Kibiwott who grabbed a personal best, winning in 13:24, followed by France’s Felix Bour (13:34) and Etienne Daguinos (13:36) who ran a new French under-23 record.
In the men’s 10km, pacer Hillary Kipkoech cruised to victory to set a new world-lead at 27:35, with Spain’s Jorge Blanco (28:27) and Sondre Nordstad Moen (28:35) almost a minute behind, while Sarah Lahti broke the Swedish women’s 5km record. Rounding things out was Mekdes Woldu who achieved a personal best in the women’s 10km with 31:47, finishing almost 2 minutes in front of Austria’s Julia Mayer (33:35).
In total, 24 of the 34 runners achieved personal best times in Domaine du Bois aux Daims, with one world leading time. And while these numbers and personal accolades are important — as well as the clear quality the METASPEED Sky brings — the real success story of ASICS’ “(BE)AT Your Personal Best” is a glimpse into the world of running’s new normal.
Whether these restrictions stay in place for years to come or they’re simply a temporary measure, its success bodes well for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and how things might operate on a much larger scale – and suggests that the pandemic won’t keep sport down for long.
(04/27/2021) Views: 1,725 ⚡AMP