Molly Huddle and Stephen Sambu win NYC Half - global update
At the United Airlines NYC Half there was a terrific finish in the women’s race between Molly Huddle and Joyce Chepkirui, with the pair separated by only eight-hundredths of a second.
Huddle prevailed to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles in this race in a course record of 67:41, the same time as Chepkirui.
“I knew once I hit those final 150 meters, I just needed to sprint,” Huddle said. “I kind of was just trying to get my body across the line and not fall at the same time.”
Burundi’s Diane Nukuri was a distant third in 69:41, with Ireland’s Fionnuala McCormack the top European finisher in fourth in 70:44. Boston Marathon winner Caroline Rotich was fifth in 70:45.
Stephen Sambu (61:16) and Wilson Chebet (61:35) took a Kenyan one-two in the men’s race with former Kenyan Sam Chelanga the top American in third in 61:43. Britain's Lee Merrien ran a PB of 64:07 for 14th.
Seven-time Paralympic medallist Ernst Van Dyk and 11-time Paralympic medallist Tatyana McFadden smashed the course records in the men’s and women’s wheelchair races respectively. Van Dyk captured the title in 47:37, while McFadden got the win in 52:25.
Report with help from organisers NYRR.
British athletes claimed a wheelchair race double at the Lisbon Half Marathon, with six-time Paralympic champion David Weir winning the men’s race in 42:23 for his quickest time over 13.1 miles in seven years. It was a 1-2 for British athletes as Simon Lawson was second in 43:55.
Shelly Woods won the women's race in 49:49 to beat her fellow Briton Jade Jones by one second as both athletes clocked PBs.
Woods later wrote on Twitter: "Great racing today, really happy to have won Lisbon half marathon in a new world record time 49.49 #personalbest"
Ethiopian athletes took a one-two in the women’s race courtesy of Ruti Aga (69:16) and Wude Ayalew (69:23), with former world 10,000m champion Linet Masai third (69:33). Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba also broke the 70-minute mark in 69:55 while Sara Moreira was the top European on home soil in fifth in 70:17 ahead of Clemence Calvin (71:17) and Jelena Prokopcuka (71:44).
Kenyan runners dominated the men’s race with Sammy Kitwara taking the win in 59:47 ahead of Kenneth Kipkemoi (60:05), Paul Lonyangata (60:11) and Emmanuel Kipsang (60:14).
Local runner Liu Ruihuan cut more than two minutes off her personal best to take the women’s title in 2:26:13, while Ethiopian teenager Kelkile Gezahegn Woldaregay had a surprise win in the men’s race in 2:10:54 at the Chongqing International Marathon, reports IAAF.
The 22-year-old Hua Shaoqing, also from China, beat her PB of 2:30:58 to take the second place in 2:29:15, while former Beijing marathon winner Zhang Yingying, the fastest woman on paper with a best of 2:22:38, came home 40 seconds later to complete a clean sweep of the podium for China.
Wilson Loyanae retained his Seoul Marathon title in a PB of 2:05:13 ahead of Evans Kiplagat (2:05:33). Mike Kigen recently transferred from Kenya to Turkey and gained the European record with 2:06:10 to break Benoit Zwierzchiewski’s long-standing 2:06:36 mark. Tadesse Abraham was an excellent fourth in a Swiss record of 2:06:40 with Frankline Chepkwony fifth in 2:06:51. Former world record-holder Patrick Makau was a DNF due to illness.
Rose Chelimo made a Kenyan double in the women’s race in 2:24:14 with Ethiopia’s Melkaw Gizaw (2:24:28) and Kenya’s Agnes Jeruto (2:24:59) also breaking 2:25.
In a very fast men’s race with three runners breaking the one-hour mark for the half-marathon, Kenyans Geoffrey Yegon (59:44) and Kenneth Keter (59:48) took first and second, with former world junior 10,000m champion Yigrem Demelash from Ethiopia third (59:49).
Parendis Lekapana led a Kenyan clean sweep in the women’s race in 70:34 ahead of Winny Jepkorir (71:27) and Ivy Kibet (72:19), with Elizeba Cherono - who recently gained Dutch citizenship - fourth in 72:42.
Kenyan runners filled the top six spots in the men’s race and the top four spots in the women’s race at the Stramilano.
James Wangari motored to a runaway win in a fast time of 59:12 to break Paul Tergat’s 18-year-old course record by five seconds. Paul Mwangi (61:31) and Amos Kibiwot (61:56) filled the remaining spots while last year’s winner Thomas Lokomwa placed sixth in 63:12.
Rael Kiyara won the women’s race in 70:19 ahead of Viola Jelagat (71:03) and Hellen Jepkurgat (71:34). Top Italian finishers were Yassine Rachik (63:56) and Catherine Bertone (74:18).
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