World Half: men's race analysis
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The early pace was slow - outside one hour speed - and they could have probably gone 30 seconds quicker in the first 5km without taking much more out of the leading group.
Jacob Kiplimo, who had run an overlooked (not on the World Athletics website) Ugandan junior record last year of 61:53 at altitude - just got faster and faster.
The world’s No.1 3000m runner this year looked superb in his championships record run. He clocked 27:32 for his second 10km and then sped up significantly in the last kilometre-plus.
Kiplimo's 5km splits (58:49): 14:20, 14:03, 13:55, 13:37 and 2:54 for a final 1095m
The highly consistent Kibiwott Kandie, who retains world leadership from his 58:38 in Prague, ran virtual identical splits to the winner, losing four seconds with 13:41 in the final full 5km and two seconds in the final run-in.
I underrated Amedework Walelegn, who did have a consistent record at the distance but dropped out of Ras Al Khaimah and set a PB here.
Walelegn (59:08): 14:20, 14:03, 13:54, 13:52 and 3:01
Joshua Cheptegei was not able to take his 10km form across to double the distance but still made a highly respectable debut. He lost 11 seconds to the winner over that final kilometre.
Cheptegei (59:21): 14:20, 14:03, 13:56, 13:57 and 3:05
It appears I overrated Benard Ngeno and Julien Wanders who were both at the very front in the early stages but both faded to 42nd and 21st respectively.
Ngeno (62:26): 14:19, 14:18, 15:07, 15:21, and 3:21
Wanders (60:46): 14:19, 14:04, 14:06, 15:03. 3:14
The top European was Morhad Amdouni of France who was always in the first 10.
Amdouni (59:40): 14:19, 14:04, 13:56, 14:20, 3:01
The second European was Britain's Jake Smith who produced one of the greatest ever performances in the event by a British-born athlete.
Because of the relatively slow start he did not need to run his own race and could hang on the back of the pack. It was not actually that slow from a British perspective as he went through 10km in 28:23 - a time only Callum Hawkins (28:02) and Ben Connor (28:10) have gone faster among Brits at the distance this year and Smith was not even at halfway.
He held on well during that third 5km (14:22). He slowed in the final full 5km but it was a similar pace to all those around him and he gained the scalps of Kenyans, Ethiopians and Ugandans who won team medals as well as all the other leading Europeans.
It puts him third all-time in Britain and his 90-second PB improves his British under-23 record and gives him a truly astonishing two minute 30 second advantage on the under-23 all-time lists ahead of Hawkins.
Smith (60:31): 14:20, 14:03, 14:22, 14:42 & 3:04
The other four Britons ran solid races to ensure they backed up Smith to gain a top 10 team spot - almost dead in the middle of the 121 finishers as they occupied between 50th and 64th position.
They all went out a little too quick and slowed but not disastrously so.
Mohamud Aadan started fastest, Kristian Jones was best over the last 6km and Adam Craig and Tom Evans were the strongest between 10km and 15km.
Aadan (62:41): 14:28, 14:38, 15:05, 15:15 & 3:15
Jones (63:05): 14:41, 14:54, 15:08, 15:15 & 3:07
Craig (63:12): 14:40, 14:54, 14:57, 15:32 & 3:09
Evans (63:14): 14:42, 14:52, 14:57, 15:31 & 3:12
My top 10 predictions were not too far off (Amedework Walelegn aside) with seven of the predicted top 10 doing so and one finishing 11th.
Predicted winning time: 58:17
Actual: 58:49
(Find predictions and explanation here)
1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) finished 4th
2 Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) finished 2nd
3 Jakob Kiplimo (UGA) finished 1st
4 Leonard Barsoton (KEN) finished 6th
5 Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) finished 11th
6 Benard Ngeno (KEN) finished 42nd
7 Andamlak Belihu (ETH) finished 5th
8 Julien Wanders (SUI) finished 21st
9 Stephen Mokoko (RSA) finished 7th
10 Benard Kimeli (KEN) finished 9th
Briton: Jake Smith did come top in 18th
Missing from prediction:
Amedework Walelegn (ETH) finished 3rd
Morhad Amdouni (FRA) finished 8th
Leul Gebresilase (ETH) finished 10th
(Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
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