Running News Daily

Pamela Rotich headlines Los Angeles Marathon

Kenya’s Pamela Rotich will be the lady to watch at the 39th edition of the Los Angeles Marathon slated for Sunday (17) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Rotich who is the oldest and fastest athlete on the entry list, comes to this race with a life time best of 2:22.43 that she got two years ago at Daegu International Marathon, where she took the silver medal.

The 40 year-old will not have an easy time as she will face-off with Olga Mazuronak of Belarus who is the second fastest athlete on paper with a time of 2:23.54 that she got at the 2016 London Marathon where she finished in fourth place and the former Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist, Stacy Ndiwa of Kenya who holds a personal best of 2:31.00 that she got last year at the Chicago Marathon.

Another title contender is Olympian Silvia Paredes from Ecuador of personal best 2:40.58 and the 2015 Pan American Games marathon bronze medalist, Rachel Hannah from Canada who holds a personal best of 2:32.09 that she got at the 2016 Houston Marathon, where she finished in sixth place.

LEADING TIME

42KM WOMEN

Pamela Rotich       (KEN) 2:22.43

Olga Mazuronak   (BEL) 2:23.54

Stacy Ndiwa          (KEN) 2:31.00

Rachel Hannah      (CAN) 2:32.09

Silvia Paredes        (CAN) 2:40.58

(03/13/2024) Views: 207 ⚡AMP
by John Vaselyne

Cherop wants a chance to compete in marathon in Paris Olympics

Fresh from finishing second at the Buenos Aires Marathon on Sunday in Argentina, former world marathon bronze medalist Sharon Chemutai Cherop wants Athletics Kenya to give her a chance to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

The former Boston Marathon champion said she has had a good season and the Buenos Aires race was her last assignment this year. 

Cherop finished second in 2:24.56 behind compatriot Rhoda Jepkorir Tanui, who won the race in a course record of (2:24.52). Pamela Rotich came third in an all-Kenyan podium sweep.

Cherop said she hopes to fly the country's flag high if offered the Paris 2024 slot.

“I am proud of my country. I have always wanted to represent my country since I was a junior athlete and if offered the opportunity to run at the Olympic Games, I will do my level best to make the country proud,” said Cherop.

Cherop said she had a good outing in Argentina and was happy to have redeemed her image following her performance in the half marathon last month in the South American nation.

“I have closed a season on a good note after running many races this year. I really need to rest until next year and set up good plans for the year. But the best of all would be to represent my country at the Olympics,” she added.

She said she has been in the game for more than 20 years and first represented Kenyan at the 1999 All Africa Games, finishing 4th in the 10,000m.

“I have been running since 1999 and I won my first medal at the 2000 World Youth Championships in 5,000m. That is how long I have been in this game,” she said.

She said she had wanted to run her best race in a bid to improve on her time in Bueno Aires but as much as that was not achieved, the second position was good enough.

The 2012 Boston Marathon champion said she prepared well for the race. 

“I started preparing for this race after winning the Milan marathon. This year alone, I have run two marathons and a number of half marathons,” she added.

Cherop won the Milan Marathon after timing 2:26.13 back in April after recovering from an injury.

In Milan, she edged out Ethiopian Ethlemahu Sintayehu (2:26.30) and compatriot Emily Kipchumba Chebet for third position after timing 2:28.08.

She is also remembered for winning a bronze at the 2011 World Athletics Championships behind the champion Edna Kiplagat and Priscah Jeptoo in an all-Kenya podium sweep.

She went ahead to win the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and finished third at the 2011 Boston Marathon before winning the race the following year.

In men, Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (2:08.29) led his compatriot Paul Tanui (2:09.57) and Robert Kimutai Ng’eno (2:10.16) in a 1-2-3 podium sweep for team Kenya.

In other races over the weekend, Charles Mbatha Matata won the Leo Lion Half Marathon in France. The Kenyan won the men’s title in 1:01.34 followed by countrymate Vincent Kipkorir Kigen (1:02.21) and Ethiopian Getachew Masresha Kidie (1:02.23).

(09/27/2023) Views: 365 ⚡AMP
by Emmanuel Sabuni

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso and Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia won the 2023 Prague Marathon

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao and Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia won the 2023 Prague Marathon.

Mutiso clocked a time of 2:05:09 to take the men’s title and break the course record, finishing comfortably ahead of Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, who finished second with a time of 2:06:26. Philemon Rono of Kenya came in third place, recording the third-fastest time of his career at 2:06:51. Mutiso’s personal best of 2:03:29 was achieved in Valencia in December 2022.

In the women’s race at the 27th Prague International Marathon, Edesa secured the top podium spot by running a time of 2:20:42. Three Kenyan runners finished in the top four, with Margaret Wangari Muriuki finishing second with a personal best time of 2:23:52.

Viola Jelagat Kibiwot also recorded a personal best of 2:24:54 to finish third. Pamela Rotich of Kenya completed the top four with a time of 2:27:35, while Mélody Julien of France finished fifth with a time of 2:29:07.

2023 Prague Marathon Results

Men’s Marathon Final results:

Alexander Mutiso Munyao (Kenya) – 2:05:09

Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) – 2:06:26

Philemon Rono (Kenya) – 2:06:51

Justus Kangogo (Kenya) – 2:07:40

Takayuki Iida (Japan) – 2:09:34.

Women’s Marathon Final results:

Workenesh Edesa (Ethiopia) – 2:20:42

Margaret Wangari Muriuki (Kenya) – 2:23:52

Viola Jelagat Kibiwot (Kenya) – 2:24:54

Pamela Rotich (Kenya) – 2:27:35

Mélody Julien (France) – 2:29:07.

(05/08/2023) Views: 631 ⚡AMP
by Glen Andrews

Ethiopia’s Mulu Seboka will take on the in-form Celestine Chepchirchir of Kenya at the Guangzhou Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday

The Prolific Ethiopian racer, who will compete in her fifth marathon of the year, owns the fastest personal best in the field at 2:21:56 set in Dubai four years ago. The 35-year-old competed in the southern Chinese city in 2016 and finished second in 2:32:26.

Seboka, a past Dubai Marathon, has a season’s best of 2:27:19 from her four marathons. She will obviously not be running with fresh legs in Guangzhou as her last race was just one week ago in Kunming, where she scored a 2:32:54 victory.

The rising Chepchirchir, 23, is the second fastest but the highest ranked (43) woman toeing the line. She knocked more than two minutes off her PB to finish third in Seoul in 2:24:48 nine months ago and went on to set a course record of 2:26:44 at the Cape Town Marathon in September.

Guangzhou will be her third race of the year and first time competing on Chinese soil.

Lilia Fisikovici of Moldova also improved lifetime best this April to 2:27:26 and has been pursuing her second international marathon title following her win in Krakow last April.

Other sub-2:30 runners in the field include two-time Daegu Marathon winner Pamela Rotich of Kenya who has a PB of 2:27:48, Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan, who set a winning mark of 2:25:45 in See Genezareth two years ago, as well as Chinese duo Ding Changqin and He Yinli.

The men’s field is led by Kenya’s Eliud Kiptanui. The 30-year-old clocked a PB of 2:05:21 to finish second at the Berlin Marathon four years ago and has managed to run inside 2:10 every year since 2014. But the past winner in Ottawa and Prague has yet to break that barrier in 2019 as he only clocked a mediocre 2:14:15 to finish seventh in Xiamen in January and failed to finish in Taiyuan three months ago.

Kiptanui’s countryman Mike Kiptum took more than three minutes off his career best to finish third at Seoul Marathon in 2:06:22 in March, suggesting that the 27-year-old would be another serious candidate not only to win the title but also to rewrite the 2:10:01 course record set by Morocco’s Abdellah Tagharrafet in 2015.

The powerful Kenyan contingent also includes Felix Kirwa, whose PB of 2:06:13 was set in Eindhoven two years ago, and 31-year-old Josphat Letting, winner of the Tallinn Marathon in September.

Ethiopia’s Gebretsadik Abraha could be the biggest threat to the Kenyans. Although the 27-year-old achieved his 2:06:23 PB back in 2012, the consistent Abraha has maintained a high level of competitiveness, earning four podium finishes in his six races since 2017.

(12/06/2019) Views: 1,847 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Vivian Kiplagat broke the women’s race record at the 37th Telcel Mexico City Marathon

Kiplagat, 31, ran the second half of the race 10 minutes faster than the first to cross the finish line in 2:33:27, taking almost three minutes off the race record of 2:36:16 set by Peru’s Pan American Games champion Gladys Tejeda in 2017.

Duncan Maiyo slowed down significantly in the second half, but his lead was good enough to secure victory in 2:12:50, two minutes shy of the 2:10:38 race record established by his compatriot Titus Ekiru.

With about 13C heat and 80% humidity at the start, Mexico’s Fabiola Pérez led the group through the first 5km in a pedestrian 20:25. The group of four Kenyan and four Ethiopian women took over and hit 10km in 39:40. By the time they reached the halfway mark, covered in 1:21:43, the group had shrunk to six.

Kiplagat and Paskalia Kipkoech reached the 25km point with a three-second lead over the chase pack of four women and gradually increased their leading margin. The former launched her attack at about 36km and Pamela Rotich could not respond.

Kiplagat, a two-time winner at the Milan Marathon, became the first Kenyan woman to win this race since 2011, crossing the line in 2:33:27. Kipkoech also finished inside the previous record in second place with 2:34:09. Rotich, who finished fifth last year, completed the all-Kenyan podium with 2:38:14.

In the men’s race, Kenya’s Mathew Kisorio, the only sub-2:05 man in the field, sped to the front early on and set a daring pace for a marathon contested at 2,240m above sea level.

With the course going downhill for the first eight kilometres, Kisorio covered the first 5km in 14:33, eight seconds ahead of Duncan Maiyo. By 10km, Maiyo had closed the gap to three seconds, 29:25 to 29:28, and remained in close contact at 15km (44:44 to 44:53).

Kisorio kept up the pressure and hit the halfway mark on Reforma Avenue in 1:03:59 with a 32-second gap on Maiyo. The chase group, meanwhile, was 2:08 adrift.

But the fast pace eventually took its toll on Kisorio as he slowed down significantly at about 30km. With the clock reading 1:39:20, Maiyo caught up with the long-time leader and Kisorio abandoned the race soon after.

More than three minutes ahead of the chase pack, Maiyo cruised to his victory in 2:12:50. It was his first marathon triumph since 2016, his best season when he twice bettered 2:10, including his lifetime best of 2:09:25.

Ethiopia’s Girmay Birhanu (2:16:14) and Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel (2:16:28) completed the podium.

Both winners were rewarded with 550,000 Mexican pesos (about $27,000).

With a new and faster course, the only IAAF Gold Label marathon in Latin America drew about 25,000 runners.

(08/26/2019) Views: 2,100 ⚡AMP

Kenyans Mathew Kipkoech and Vivian Kiplagat lead a group of eight sub-2:10 men and eight sub-2:30 women vying to become the new champions and to rewrite the records at the 37th Telcel Mexico City International Marathon on Sunday

After a successful 2018 edition, which honoured the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games following the same course used at the Games, organisers have designed a new course and assembled one of the best fields in the 37-year-old history of the race, hoping to break the 2:10 and 2:30 barriers at high altitude (2,240m above sea level).

Mathew Kisorio is hoping to be that man. Third at this race last year, he cracked the 2:05 barrier three months later in Valencia with 2:04:53. The 30-year-old is comfortable racing at altitude as his pedigree shows. In February, he made his Mexican debut by winning the Guadalajara Half Marathon and went on to take the Eldoret Marathon two months later.

In the absence of last year’s winner Titus Ekiru, 2018 runner-up Edwin Koech will try to keep the Kenyan supremacy on Mexican roads. The 27-year-old has a personal best of 2:07:13 from 2017 in Milano. He returned to that Italian city last April and finished third with 2:08:24.

Vincent Kipruto, the 2011 World World Championships silver medallist at the distance, will make his Mexican debut. He boasts a personal best of 2:05:13 from 2010 and regained similar form two years ago in Berlin with 2:06:14. Sunday’s will be his first race of the year.

Other top candidates for victory are Ethiopia’s Deribe Merga (2:06:38), Abdela Godana (2:09:04) and Yihunilign Adane (2:09:11), as well as Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel Tikue (2:08:17).

In the women’s field, Vivian Kiplagat is hoping to bring back the title to Kenya after Peru’s Gladys Tejeda's wins in 2016-2017 and Ethiopia’s Etaferahu Temesgen’s victory in 2018.

Kiplagat, 31, improved her personal best by over four and a half minutes to 2:22:25 to successfully retain her title in Milano last April. Sunday will mark her debut in Mexican races. She is also comfortable running at altitude, judging from her 2:28:06, good for second place, two weeks after her win in Italy.

After a busier season with three marathons in 2018, Tinbit Weldegebril will try to keep the women’s crown in Ethiopia. She improved her personal best twice last year, including a lifetime best of 2:23:37 in Valencia in December, her latest marathon before Sunday.

The running battle between Ethiopia and Kenya should produce an exciting day of racing on Sunday. Kenya is also represented by Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech (2:26:04), Valentine Kipketer (2:28:05) and Pamela Rotich (2:27:48), her country’s best ranked woman Mexico City last year, in fifth.

Ethiopia, a country that topped the four first places in the women’s race in 2018, also features Zerfie Limeneh (2:26:48), Zinash Debebe (2:27:15) and Tigist Gebeyahu (2:27:35).

With the start at UNAM University, the venue of the 1968 Olympic stadium, and finish at the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, organisers are hoping to see records broken as the race makes its debut as an IAAF Gold Label race.

The records were set by Kenya’s Titus Ekiru (2:10:38) in 2018 and Peru’s Pan American Games champion Gladys Tejeda (2:36:16) in 2017. The race has 25,000 runners registered.

(08/24/2019) Views: 2,228 ⚡AMP
by

Course record was smashed at the Daegu Marathon as Kipchirchir clocked 2:05:33

2Felix Kipchirchir smashed the course record at the Daegu Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label road race, on Sunday April 7. 

Breaking from compatriot Kennedy Cheboror after the 35th kilometre, Kipchirchir forged on to a 2:05:33 victory to break the course record of 2:06:29 set by Abraham Kiptum in 2018.

Kipchirchir was on a tear from the start, leading the field through the first five kilometres in 14:49 and 10 kilometres in 29:31. That initial seven-man lead pack was reduced to six by 30 kilometres when Ethiopian Shifera Tamru Aredo, Ugandan Fred Musobo, Kenyans Cheboror and Evans Korir and Eritrea's Tsegay Tuemay were still giving Kipchirchir company.

But he finally showed his cards in the next five-kilometres stretch with a sizzling 14:38 split that dropped everyone but Cheboror. He too would succumb over the next five kilometres, which Kipchirchir covered in 14:32, the fastest of the race.

Aredo managed to blistering closing stages best, finishing second in 2:06:21 with Musobo third in 2:06:21.

While Kipchirchir ran away alone, Cheboror wilted over the final kilometre but still managed to finish fourth in 2:06:59 to knock nearly a minute-and-a-half from his previous best.

Pamela Rotich of Kenya won the women's race in 2:28:10.

(04/07/2019) Views: 2,157 ⚡AMP

Double Kenyan triumph in Singapore

Pamela Rotich’s 2:38:31 triumph at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and her Compatriot Cosmas Kimutai made it a Kenyan double – the seventh in the past eight editions – by winning the men’s race in 2:22:48 in what was his first race for three years. The race, despite starting at 4:30am, still couldn’t escape the 82 degree heat, so times were understandably affected, as is often the case in Singapore. (12/04/2017) Views: 1,569 ⚡AMP