Kiplimo, Gebru win Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Jacob Kiplimo.
What you need to know:
- Kiplimo, who is also the world half marathon record holder, was not cowed by the presence of Kenyan athletes, breaking away in the initial stages to claim victory in spectacular fashion
- Rodgers Kwemoi, who was making his debut in the 21km race, tried to give a chase but his effort was only good enough for second place
- In the women's category, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who was debuting in the race exchanged leads with Ethiopia’s Girmawit Gebrzihair Gebru who later surged forward in the last 500m to win the race in 1:04:14
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia’s Girmawit Gebrzihair Gebru are the champions of this year's edition of Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in United Arab Emirates that took place Saturday morning.
Kiplimo, who is also the world half marathon record holder, was not cowed by the presence of Kenyan athletes, breaking away in the initial stages to claim victory in spectacular fashion.
He crossed the line in 57:56 while Rodgers Kwemoi came in second in 58:30. Another Kenyan Kenneth Kiprop Renju settled for third place in 58:35.
Kenyans Daniel Mateiko (58:45), Alexander Munyao (58:48) and Abel Abel Kipchumba 59:47 were in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively.
Kwemoi, who was making his debut in the 21km race, tried to give a chase but his effort was only good enough for second place.
In the women's category, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who was running at Ras Al Khaimah for the first time, exchanged leads with Ethiopia’s Girmawit Gebrzihair Gebru who later surged forward in the last 500m to win the race in 1:04:14.
Obiri came in second after clocking 1:04:22 while another Kenyan Sheila Chepkurui who was in the leading pack sealed the podium in 1:04:36.
The leading pack of six athletes was reduced to three as favourite Ababel Yeshaneh, who is the course record holder having won the 2020 edition, dropped in the second half of the race.
This was Obiri’s second race after she started her season with victory in the Northern Ireland International Cross Country, Dundoland in Great Britain where she clocked 26:44 in the 8km race.
In an earlier interview, Obiri said that she had lined up many races this season after transiting from the track where she won a silver medal in the 5,000m during 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games last year in what was her last race.
