Obiri sets new course record at New York Half Marathon

World 10,000 metres  silver medallist Hellen Obiri won the New York City Half Marathon in a new course record on Sunday in the American city.

Obiri, the 2017 and 2019 World 5,000m champion, clocked one hour, seven minutes and 21 seconds for her sixth career half marathon victory, crushing the previous course record by 14 seconds. 

Obiri beat defending champion Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi to second place in 1:07:55 as Norwegian Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal came third in 1:09:53.

It’s Teferi, who won last year’s event in a course record time of 1:07:35, also beating the previous record of 1:07:41 by American Molly Huddle from 2016. 

Obiri led throughout the race, going through five kilometres in 15 minutes and 50 seconds before hitting the halfway mark in 31:29 for victory in her eighth appearance over the distance.

Obiri now joins some of Kenyan greats to have won the race; two-time world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, who won the inaugural race in 2006 before sealing a double in 2008.

Others Kenyans to have won in New York are Hilda Kibet (2007), Caroline Rotich (2011, 2013), Sally Kipyego (2014) and Joycilline Jepkosgei (2019).

World Half Marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda won the men’s title, beating compatriot and world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei.    

Kiplimo, who is fresh from winning the World Cross Country Championships in Australia, clocked 1:01:31 against Cheptegei’s 1:02:09. 

Edward Cheserek was the only Kenyan to finish in top 10 after he romped home fifth in 1:02:58.

Elsewhere, Kenyan-born Marius Kimutai from Bahrain clocked the second fastest time this year in the world of 2:05:06 seconds to win the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday in a course record time.

Ethiopian Zeineba Yimer put away the women’s title also in a course record time of 2:19:44.

Kimutai broke the course record by 47 seconds and his personal best by 41 seconds to beat Morocco's Othmane El Goumri to second with 2:05:12, and Kenyan-born Kanna Kigen of Turkey concluded the podium with 2:05:37.

Yimer outclassed Kenya’s Sally Chepyego who came second in 2:20:03 as Kenyan-born Delvin Meringor of Romania settled third in 2:20:49.

Kenya's Betty Chepkwony won women’s race at Rome Marathon in a time of 2:23:01 as Morocco's Taoufik Allam claimed the men's race 2: 07:43.

Allam edged out Kenyans Wilfred Kigen and Rogers Keror to second and third places in 2:08:45 and 2:10:50 respectively on a cool cloudy day in the Italian capital.