Ex-half marathon world record holder Kandie plays it cool
Kibiwott Kandie celebrates after winning the 10,000m race during the Kenya Defence Force Athletics Championship at Ulinzi Sports Complex in May last year.
What you need to know:
- In between that, he debuted in the 42km at the 2021 New York Marathon, finishing ninth in 2:13:43. He shaved his personal best time by a huge chunk timing 2:04:48 to finish sixth in Valencia and could go lower on the fast Berlin course on Sunday.
- NMG in partnership with Turkish Airlines will televise the marathon live on NTV.
He may have run only two marathons before but former World Half Marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie has said he will tackle this Sunday’s Berlin Marathon race with caution even though he wants to make an impression.
Kibiwott said that he was still learning how to run a 42km race that needed thorough preparations.
“I just want to run my own race because a marathon is no joke. Of course I have done good training for the last three months and this race will shape my future in the distance but I have to run cautiously,” said Kandie.
The soft-spoken Kandie, who won this years’ Barcelona Half Marathon, has not competed in many races be design.
After failing to make Kenya’s men’s 10,000m Olympic Games team at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA where he finished sixth in a personal best time of 26:58.97, Kandie decided to concentrate on road races.
A formidable half marathon runner, Kandie shot into the limelight at the Saint Silvester 15km Road Race in Brazil in 2019 where he won in a course record time of 42:59.
He won the 2020 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon at the United Arabs Emirates in 58:58 before winning the Prague Half Marathon in 58:38 this year to underline his form.
Kandie would later be named in the Kenya team that participated in the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland where he won silver in a time of 58:54 as rival Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo bagged gold.
He finished 2020 with a world record after winning the Valencia Half Marathon in a blistering 57:32. Kiplimo, however, lowered that time when he clocked 57:31 to win the 2021 Lisbon Half Marathon.
In 2021 Kandie posted impressive outings, timing a course record 59:21 to win the Istanbul Half Marathon.
He won the 2022 Valencia Half Marathon in 58:10 before retaining the title last year in a time of.57:40.
In between that, he debuted in the 42km at the 2021 New York Marathon, finishing ninth in 2:13:43. He shaved his personal best time by a huge chunk timing 2:04:48 to finish sixth in Valencia and could go lower on the fast Berlin course on Sunday.
NMG in partnership with Turkish Airlines will televise the marathon live on NTV.
