RunCzech name strong field for world record attempts
Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei on the way to breaking the world half marathon record at the 2017 Prague Half Marathon. Organisers RunCzech hope more records will fall in this Saturday’s (September 5, 2020) special half marathon event.
What you need to know:
- Carlo Capalbo, who heads the RunCzech organizing team, is confident the special races will bring out something positive in a troubled season.
- “It took the technical support of our generous and long-standing partner, Adidas. Plus the elite athletes, of course, and their sports agencies,” Capalbo said in his pre-race remarks on Tuesday.
Former women’s half marathon world record holder Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ethiopia’s current world record holder in the women’s only division, Netsanet Gudeta, headline a strong field lined up for Saturday’s special 21-kilometre race in Prague with further records in mind.
Organisers RunCzech and Adidas have assembled a strong field of over 30 runners, looking to end the Covid-19-enforced lay-off in style, and with fresh distance running records.
The men’s field is headlined by nine sub one-hour half marathoners led by Stephen Kiprop Chesang who boasts a personal best time of 58:42.
Born in Kapng’eny Village in Baringo County, Kiprop is the fastest Adidas Half Marathoner of all time, and will be chasing Nike’s record holder Geoffrey Kamworor’s world best 58:01.
The Kenya-dominated elite field during the RunCzech-organised Prague Half Marathon in 2017. The organisers hope several records will fall in this Saturday’s (September 5, 2020) special half marathon event
Kiprop will be spurred on by Kibiwott Kandie, the man whose 2020 rising star was nipped in the bud by the Covid-19 lockdown.
Having won this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon along with the national cross country senior men’s title earlier this year, Kandie was headed for a brilliant season until the coronavirus reared its ugly head.
Kandie, who trains in Ngong with the Kenya Defence Forces team, made his half marathon debut in Lille, France, last year and immediately dipped under the one-hour mark by running 59:31.
The spiritual Jepchirchir, who lives and trains in Kapsabet, held the women’s world half marathon record at one hour, five minutes and six seconds from the 2017 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates.
The Kenya-dominated elite field during the RunCzech-organised Prague Half Marathon in 2017. The organisers hope several records will fall in this Saturday’s (September 5, 2020) special half marathon event
Jepchirchir, who turns 27 of September 27, also won gold (1:07:31) at the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Great Britain.
Netsanet, 29, set the new world record in the women’s only half marathon race (1:06:11) at the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, Spain.
The women’s world record in a mixed gender race is held by Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh, set at the popular Ras Al Khaimah race on February 21 this year, just before the global coronavirus lockdown.
Netsanet grew up in Bekoji, Ethiopia’s “home of athletics,” coming from the same village as the famous Dibaba family.
The Kenya-dominated elite field during the RunCzech-organised Prague Half Marathon in 2017. The organisers hope several records will fall in this Saturday’s (September 5, 2020) special half marathon event.
She joined the Bekoji Project Athletics Academy in 2012, making her international road running debut in Prague the following year.
Kenyans Joan Chelimo Melly (1:05:04), Vibian Chepkirui (1:09:28), Senbere Teferi Sora of Ethiopia (1:05:32) along with Kenya’s Edith Chelimo (1:05:52), Dorcas Jepchirchir Tiutoek (1:06:33) and Dorcas Jepchumba Kimeli (1:07:10) are the other top women runners lined up on Saturday.
For Saturday’s runs, Adidas are introducing their “Adizero Adios Pro” shoe at the event, perhaps in response to rivals Nike’s “Zoom Elite” range of racing shoes that has so far celebrated both the world half and full marathon records along with the world 5,000 metres record on the track through Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor (58 minutes and one second), Eliud Kipchoge (two hours, one minute and 39 seconds) and Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei (12:35.36) have been responsible for the Nike-based records.
The “Adizero Adios Pro” shoe has been designed in close collaboration with elite athletes.
Carlo Capablo, President of the RunCzech Organizing Committee for this weekend’s (September 5, 2020) special half marathon races photographed during the 2017 Prague Half Marathon. The organisers hope several records will fall.
Besides former world half marathon record holder (1:04:51) Joyciline Jepkosgei and world 10-kilometre world record holder Rhonex Kipruto, several RunCzech Racing athletes contributed to product development and validation of the Adidas shoe, including half marathoners Stephen Kiprop and Philemon Kiplimo; marathon runners Abel Kipchumba, Bethwell Yegon; two-time Eindhoven Marathon title holder Festus Talam and two- time Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon champion Benard Kimeli.
“To create the best, we knew we had to work with the best,” Adidas’ Footwear Development Manager, Robbie Patterson, said on Tuesday. “Thousands of kilometres, months of testing, and dozens of prototypes, went into something designed to help athletes run faster, for longer but with the same energy, than ever before.”
Carlo Capalbo, who heads the RunCzech organizing team, is confident the special races will bring out something positive in a troubled season.
“It took the technical support of our generous and long-standing partner, Adidas. Plus the elite athletes, of course, and their sports agencies,” Capalbo said in his pre-race remarks on Tuesday.
“All of which has led us to this amazing weekend. An exclusive half marathon, 21.1km, hosted in Prague. A showdown featuring some of the greatest running talent in the world today, all determined to smash world records as a way of proclaiming that we’re ready for the restart. To restart the economy, society and sports,” Capalbo said.
The line-up for Saturday’s special races in Prague:
Women:
1. Joan Chelimo Melly, Kenya (Half marathon personal best time: 1:05:04, set in Prague, 2018);
2. Netsanet Gudeta Kebede, Ethiopia (1:05:45, Ras Al Khaimah, 2019);
3. Vibian Chepkirui (1:09:28, Santa Pola, 2020);
4. Peres Jepchirchir (1:05:06, Ras Al Khaimah, 2017);
5. Sheila Chekirui (debut);
6. Senbere Teferi Sora, Ethiopia (1:05:32, Valencia,2019);
7. Edith Chelimo, Kenya (1:05:52, Cardiff, 2017);
8. Dorcas Jepchirchir Tiutoek, Kenya (1:06:33, Istanbul, 2019)
9. Dorcas Jepchumba Kimeli, Kenya(1:07:10, Barcelona 2020)
Pacemakers:
1. Brenda Jepleting, Kenya
2. Lilian Jepkorir Chebii
Men:
1. Stephen Kiprop, Kenya (Half marathon personal best time: 58:42, set in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, 2019);
2. Kibiwott Kandi, Kenya (58:58, Ras Al Khaimah, 2020);
3. Bernard Kimeli, Kenya (59:07,Prague, 2019);
4. Andamlak Belitu Berta, Ethiopia (59:10, Delhi, 2019);
5. Philemon Kiplimo Kimaiyo, Kenya (59:28, Houston, Texas, 2020);
6. Abel Kipchumba, Kenya (59:29, Valencia, 2018);
7. Amos Kurgat Kibiwott, Kenya (59:37, Copenhagen, 2019);
8. Lucas Kimeli Rotich, Kenya (59:44, Hague, 2011);
9. Alfred Chelal Barkach, Kenya (59:46, Delhi, 2019);
10. Henry Rono, Kenya (1:00:04, Napoli, 2020);
11. Mechack Kiprop Koech, Kenya (1:00:07, Lille, 2017);
12. Felix Kipkoech, Kenya (1:00:12, Boulogne-Billancourt, 2019);
13. Kennedy Kimutai, Kenya (1:00:21, Cardiff, 2019)
14. Evans Kipkorir Cheruiyot, Kenya (1:00:26, Istanbul, 2019)
15. Bethwell Biwott Yegon, Kenya (1:00:57, Venlo, 2019)
16. Benson Kipruto, Kenya (1:02:13, Guadalajara, 2020)
17. Timothy Kibet Kosgei, Kenya (Debut);
18. Victor Kipruto, Kenya (Debut)
Pacemakers:
1. Bravine Kipkogei Kiptoo, Kenya (10km PB 27:12, Prague, 2019)
2. Charles Katul Lokir, Kenya (Debut)
3. Weldon Kipkirui Langat, Kenya (Debut)
