World Half Marathon Championships: women's top 10 prediction
Major championships action returns in Poland on Saturday (October 17) as some of the globe’s best runners line up in Gdynia for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.
Click here for our ‘who, what and when?’ guide to the event.
The women’s race should see a straightforward Ethiopia v Kenya battle.
Ethiopia’s defending champion Netsanet Gudeta won this race in Valencia in 66:11.
She showed consistent form over the distance in 2019 - second in Ras Al Khaimah in 65:45 being her best - but her 2020 form is of less stature.
Based on 2020 form, team-mate Ababel Yeshaneh may be a better bet as she won in a mixed race at Ras Al Khaimah in a world record of 64:31 (pictured).
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir holds the world record set in a women-only race of 65:34, which she set in Prague last month, and she won this championships at a wet and windy Cardiff in 2016.
Also among the favourites will be TCS New York CITY Marathon winner Joyciline Jepkosgei.
The previous world record-holder with a 64:51 PB from Valencia in 2017 was second in the 2018 Championships in Valencia behind Gudeta.
Rosemary Wanjiru should also be a factor.
Third in Ras Al Khaimah this year in 65:34, she has run 29:50 for 10km on the road earlier in the year and was fourth in the 2019 World Championships 10,000m in Doha.
Dorkas Kimeli - third this year in both Barcelona in 67:10 and Prague in 67:14 - should again place highly and ensure a Kenyan team victory.
As the Ethiopian back-up, Zeineba Yimer looks a safe bet for a high placing having been in the top three in her 2019 half-marathons at Ras Al Khaimah (PB 65:46), Lisbon and New Delhi.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw was fifth in Ras Al Khaimah in 66:35 earlier in the year but did win the Ethiopian trial over 15km ahead of Gudeta, Yimer and Yeshaneh.
Former Kenyan Lonah Chemtai Salpeter could be one of the leading athletes from outside the big two.
Israel's European 10,000m champion ran a world-leading 2:17:45 for the Tokyo Marathon this year and has a 66:09 half PB from Prague last year.
Another former Kenyan - Yasemin Can, who is Salpeter’s predecessor as European 10,000m champion - should also place highly.
The Turkish athlete has a modest PB of 68:29 but based on her pair of top eights in the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m, she should be capable of a few minutes faster.
Italy's former European and World Championships marathon runner-up Valeria Straneo will be one of the top European-born athletes.
One interesting competitor is former junior star Annemari Kiekara - formerly Sandell.
The Finn is running 25 years after she won the European cross-country title.
The depleted British team led by Samantha Harrison and Clara Evans are not ranked among the 30 fastest times based on PB performances so would do well to break into the top 20.
Winning time 65:08
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH)
2 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN)
3 Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN)
4 Netsanet Gudeta (ETH)
5 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH)
6 Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN)
7 Dorkas Kimeli (KEN)
8 Zeineba Yimer (ETH)
9 Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR)
10 Yasemin Can (TUR)
Top Briton: Samantha Harrison
(Lead photo by Giancarlo Colombo)
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