Keitany wins gold in Birmingham marathon

Mary Keitany ended a decade-long wait for Kenya’s individual women’s title while Bernard Kiprop Kipyego won silver in the men’s race to help Kenya take the team title at the World Half Marathon championship in Birmingham on Sunday.

Kenyan and Ethiopian teams dominated from the start and had opened up a decisive advantage over their rivals by the end of the first mile. With the opening miles downhill, the pace was stiff and the leading pack fractured again when Keitany and Ethiopian youngster Aberu Kebebe kicked clear.

Keitany then stamped her authority on an uphill section of the course and opened up a 40-second advantage over Kebebe by 15km. Philes Moora Ongori overhauled Kebebe in the closing metres to take individual silver in 1:07:38, a personal best. This helped Kenya comprehensively secure the team title and an additional Sh1.1 million ($15,000), ahead of Ethiopia and Russia.

Ethiopia’s Aberu Kebede was third in a personal best 1:07:39, ahead of Kenyan Caroline Cheptanui Kilel (1:08:16) and her compatriot Mestawet Tufa (1:09:11). Kenyans Flomena Cheyech (1:09:44) and Peninah Jerop Arusei (1:11:10) were eighth and 19th, respectively.

Keitany must have found the course and light drizzle favourable as she stayed ahead of the world record pace, averaging just over three minutes per kilometre. But she slowed slightly in the closing stages, narrowly missing out on Kiplagat’s world record as she gleefully upgraded the silver medal she won in Udine two years ago.

Her 1:06:36 time however shattered her personal best by 12 seconds. It was an impressive lone ranger act, and it’s just a matter of conjecture how three-time winner Kiplagat and Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe would have fared had they not been sidelined through injury and illness.

Secured his place

Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese secured his place in the event as he won his fourth consecutive title. His winning time of 59 minutes and 35 seconds rewrote his own championship record and the former World Cross Country champion, who won the 10,000m silver at the World Championships in Berlin earlier this year, insists he is now ready for full marathons.

Kipyego (59:59) sprinted clear of American Dathan Ritzenheim (1:00:00) to claim silver. Wilson Kiprotich (1:00:08) finished fourth. Ritzenheim, the first American to make the podium at the World Half Marathon contest, was delighted with bronze.

Another Eritrean, Samuel Tsegay, paid the prize for pushing hard in the initial stages in a bid to keep pace with Tadese, dropping after the 18km mark to finish fifth in 1:00:17 for a personal best time. Wilson Kwambai Chebet (1:00:59) was sixth, ahead of compatriot Kiplimo Kimutai (1:01:31). Sammy Kitwara, who was expected to win, wound a disappointing tenth in 1:01:59.

The women’s race was livelier. After having been denied two years ago by Kenyan-turned-Dutchwoman Lorrnah Kiplagat’s solid run, 27-year-old Keitany dominated the show to claim her first victory in the women’s race in 1:06:36 and pocket the Sh2.2 million ($30,000) top prize.