ATHLETICS – Page 189

Mary Keitany, Mary Jepkosgey Keitany, Vivian Cheruiyot, Priscah Jeptoo, Magdalene Masai, Caroline Chepkoech, Great North Run half marathon, Great North Run, Charles Koech, Kenya’s Mary Keitany took 41 seconds off the women’s-only world record* at the Virgin Money London Marathon, running 2:17:01 at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (23). Keitany said in the build-up to this year’s race she was in shape to break Paula Radcliffe’s mark of 2:17:42 and while she demurred when asked about the possibility of bettering Radcliffe’s outright mark of 2:15:25, Keitany was running minutes inside Radcliffe’s schedule in the first half. Paced by her training partner Caroline Kipkirui, Keitany cut loose from arguably the most accomplished field in race history with an astonishingly fast third mile 4:37. Through 5km in 15:31 and 10km in 31:17, Keitany was running at close to 2:10 pace while the second group – which was already beginning to splinter – hit 10km in 31:31, exactly half a minute faster than Radcliffe in 2003. Keitany, who covered the fourth and fifth miles in 4:56 and 4:59 respectively, was still within sight of the second group at 10km but the 34-year-old was away and clear with a succession of mile splits faster than 5:10 through the 10-mile mark in 50:41. Her half marathon split of 1:06:54 was the fastest in marathon history (Radcliffe ran 1:08:02 in 2003) and her advantage had extended to 59 seconds over the chasers, including track greats Tirunesh Dibaba, Vivian Cheruiyot, former winner Aselefech Mergia and world silver medallist Helah Kiprop. “I know Mary is a fast runner and I was following my own pace and until halfway, I was on track but I was never expecting she would go that fast and maintain it,” said an incredulous Dibaba after the race. This early pace had already torn the second group asunder. Former winner Tigist Tufa and world champion Mare Dibaba had lost more than three minutes on the second group with the latter dropping out after the 30km mark. Keitany was also beginning to slow with a 14th mile of 5:21 before four successive miles in the 5:14-5:18 range. Through 30km in a pending world record of 1:36:05, Keitany was still 31 seconds faster than Radcliffe in 2003 but her preceding 5km split of 16:22 was her slowest thus far. Keitany’s mile splits had started to drift into the 5:20 range and while Dibaba seemed to be running with more fluidity, her lead stayed at more than one minute through 35km in 1:52:39. The overall world record was beyond reach but Keitany was still on course to smash Radcliffe’s women’s-only world record. Dibaba was running at a fantastic pace in just her second marathon, but after such a fast start she had to stop due to stomach cramps in the 23rd mile. She quickly gathered herself, but in spite of her fantastic credentials over the shorter distances there was no way she was going to catch Keitany. After covering the preceding two miles in 5:27 and 5:25 respectively, Keitany spurted again with a 26th mile in 4:56 to ensure she would take a sizeable chunk off Radcliffe’s 12-year-old women’s-only world record with 2:17:01, the second-fastest time in the history of women’s marathon running. “I want to thank the pacemaker who was taking me all the way to 14 miles,” said Keitany. “From there, I started to go alone and see how my body was.” Dibaba rallied in the closing stages to finish second in 2:17:56, taking more than a minute from Tiki Gelana’s Ethiopian record and becoming the third-fastest woman in history. “I haven’t decided yet but my gut feeling is I’ll be running the 10,000m on the track,” said Dibaba on her plans for the IAAF World Championships London 2017 this summer. Mergia was beset by leg cramps in the closing stages but the 2010 champion accrued another podium finish in third in 2:23:08 while Cheruiyot, who equalled her half-marathon lifetime best of 1:07:54 en route, faded to fourth on her debut in 2:23:50.

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Mary Keitany wins 2018 New York Road Runners Pro Performer

Mary Keitany received news that she was the winner of the 2018 New York Road Runners Pro Performer of the Year Award with great celebrations. The two times London marathon winner won her fourth title after 2:22:48, which was the second fastest time in women’s marathon in US. Keitany lost last year’s race by 61 […]

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Sports scribes awards Mary Keitany

Celebrations went high in Mororia village today as four time New York marathon winner Mary Keitany was on today won the StarTimes and Sports Journalists Association of Kenya(SJAK) sports personality of the month of November. Accompanied by her husband Charles Koech and their children, Keitany was surprised by the accolades following her goof 2018 road […]

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Amos Kipruto takes bronze as Ethiopians dominate Kolkata 25Km race

Reigning Amsterdam marathon silver Medalist Amos Kipruto finished third in today’s Tata Steel Kolkata 25K ran in India as former Chicago marathon champion Florence Kiplagat was the best Kenyan woman in 5th position. Kipruto who finished second behind world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge at Berlin marathon on 16th September, finished third behind winner Birhanu […]

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Edwin Koech wins Shenzhen Marathon

Reigning Milan marathon champion Edwin Kipngetich Koech extended his winning ways to Shenzhen marathon held today in China. At 26, Koech enjoyed a comfortable sole lead after 25km to wrap up the victory in 2:09:44, which was also his second sub-2:10 run behind his personal best of 2:07:13 achieved in Milan last April. Ethiopia’s Bekele […]

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Silas Mng’etich and Maurine are Kisumu marathon champions

Silas Mng’etich and Maurine Chepkemoi are the winners of this year’s Kisumu International marathon held today in Kisumu County. Makinga debut at the marathon, Mng’etich won the men’s 42km 2:16.50 ahead of William Cheboi (2:16.55) and Abraham Too (2:17.37) completing the podium. Chepkemoi registered her maiden 42km victory 2:35.36 ahead of Pauline Mutwa (2:41.20) in […]

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Daisy Jepkemei, Lawi Kosgey claim Mt. Elgon X-Country titles

Former world junior 2,000m steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei and former world Youth 1,500m champion Lawi Kosgey braved heavy competition to claim the third leg of Athletics Kenya Cross Country meeting held today at Kapsokwony High school ground in Mount Elgon, Bungoma County. Jepkemei who competes alongside her elder sister Norah Jeruto, Jepkemei capitalized on slow […]

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Winny Kimutai, Michael Bett are Mt. Elgon X-Country junior champions

Upstart Winny Kimutai edged reigning world under 18 3,000m silver medallist Immerculate Chepkirui to win the third leg of Athletics Kenya cross country championships ran today at Kapsokwony High school ground inMount Elgon as Michael Bett defended his title. Kimutai, who registered her maiden win in her career,was a shocker claiming the 6km junior women […]

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Vincent Yator targets top marathon after road accident

Vincent Yator has a reason to smile again following a tragic road accident that claimed the live of running mate Francis Kiplagat at Kikopey along Nakuru-Nairobi highway before competing at Honolulu marathon. The 2010 Africa 5,000msilver medalist returned in the country on Thursday after finished third during Sunday’s Honolulu marathon and describing the Monday 19th […]

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Expect top notch athletes at Mount Elgon X-country- Mugalitsi

Former Africa cross country bronze medalist Beatrice Mutai will be seeking to defend her Mount Elgon cross country title that gets down at Kapsokwony High School on Saturday in the third leg of Athletics Kenya cross country meeting in Bungoma County. According to race organisers led by Western Region Athletics Kenya secretary Homer Mugalitsi, Mutai […]

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John Mwangi suspended from competing for use of testosterone

World renowned pace setter James Mwangi Wangari has been provisionally suspended for being found with testosterone, a banned substance in Sports under Article 2.1. Before 2016 the 24 year-old was an unknown figure but he stunned the world when he was designated as a rabbit, found the legs to carry him all the way to the […]