Kenyan athletes prevail in Europe

Kenyan athletes, at the weekend, dominated races in Denmark and the Netherlands respectively.

James Wangari ensured Kenya retained the Copenhagen Half Marathon title when he clocked the second fastest time in the world this year on Sunday.

In the Netherlands, Kenya's Edwin Kiptoo and Alice Aprot won the the 32nd Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race from Amsterdam to Zaandam.

In just his second race over the distance, the 22-year-old Wangari reached the finish line in 59:07, knocking seven seconds from the course record set last year by compatriot Bedan Karoki.

Karoki, who was in the race looking to defend his title, could not keep up with Wangari’s aggressive pace, and could only finish fifth in 59:36 in a race where Kenyans swept all the top sevens places.

A group of 18 athletes passed five kilometres at a fast 13:43-13:46 clip. Upping the tempo, Wangari was well clear and on his own five kilometres later, reaching 10 kilometres in a blazing 27:15, 25 seconds faster than this year's 10km world lead and 13 seconds clear of the seven men in the chasing pack.

IN VERY GOOD SHAPE

By 15 kilometres, reached in 41:32, Wangari had built a 29-second lead on Stephen Kosgei Kibet and five others. His lead was reduced to 21 seconds at 20 kilometres when Karoki made a brief foray to the head of the pack. But Wangari held his advantage to the line, beating Kibet, who clocked 59:28, by 21 seconds.

"I am in a very good shape,” said Wangari, who won the Stramilano Half Marathon last March in his debut over the distance in 59:12.

The closely contested women's race involved just four lead actors: Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan, Kenyans Veronica Wanjiru and Gladys Chesir, and Eunice Chumba of Bahrain.

It is Gebrekidan, who had the last laugh, winning in 1:08:00 as Chumba finished second in 1:08:04 followed by Wanjiru in 1:08:06.

Kiptoo won the traditional 10-mile race in the Netherlands in 45:25, the fastest time in the world this year. Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, who finished a sixth in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, clocked 45:38 for second while Abrar Osman from Eritrea was third clocking 46:12.

Aprot, who was fourth in the Olympic 10,000m last month in 29:53.51, comfortably won the women’s race in 51:59. Tejitu Daba of Bahrain came second in 52:34. Kenyan Luci Karimi, the winner of this year's Prague Marathon, was third in 53:03.