Kenyan duo reign supreme in Bengaluru

Kenya’s World Half Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and compatriot World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Jebet destroyed rich fields to win this year’s World 10km in Bengaluru, India, on Sunday.

Kamworor, who is the 2015 World 10,000m silver medallist, took a shot at his course record of 27:44 on a hot and humid morning but crossed the line in 28:18 after impressively imposing his authority on the race just after the halfway point.

Kamworor, the 2017 New York City Marathon champion, beat Ethiopia’s duo of Birhanu Legese and Mosinet Geremew to second and third places in 28:38 and 28:39 respectively as defending champion Alex Oloitiptip from Kenya settled fourth in 28:44.

Kamworor led during the early stages of the race almost from the gun as the rest of the leading pack ran in single or double file behind him, through the first five kilometres, with only Oloitiptip helping with the pace.

“I think we were all cautious about the weather in the first half of the race. It was very hot, and I think that’s what cost me the course record. I came here thinking about the course record and tried the best I could, but I could feel the temperature rising as I was warming up. I was jogging for just three minutes before starting to sweat,” reflected a smiling Kamworor.

“But make no mistake, I love coming to Indian races, I love the atmosphere and certainly want to come back,” he added.

In sharp contrast to the men’s race, the women’s contest was a close-fought three-way affair which only got decided in the final 500 metres as the first three runners home went under the former course record of 31:46 by Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu in 2014.

Agnes Jebet, the 2016 World Cross Country champion, won the women’s race, breaking Kabuu’s course record with new times of 31:19. Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi and Caroline Kipkirui from Kenya came in second and third, falling inside the course record time on 31:22 and 31:28 respectively.

A pack of nine runners went through two kilometres in 6:30 and three in 9:42 before a slight increase in pace saw the pack reduced to the five main protagonists at the halfway point, reached in 16:01.

The Kenya trio of Pauline Kamulu, Kipkirui and Jebet were accompanied by Ethiopia’s World Half Marathon champion Netsanet Gudeta and Teferi.

With Gudeta continuing to force the pace, as she had done almost from the gun, after six kilometres Kamulu started to drop away.

Leading results:

MEN

1. Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 28:18

2. Birhanu Legese (ETH) 28:38

3. Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 28:39

4. Alex Oloitiptip (KEN) 28:44

5. Edwin Kiptoo (KEN) 28:50

6. Abraham Cheroben (BRN) 28:55

7. Leul Gebrselassie (ETH) 29:07

8. Moses Kurong (UGA) 29:14

9. Brett Robinson (AUS) 29:21

10. Bashir Abdi (BEL) 30:01

WOMEN

1. Agnes Tirop (KEN) 31:19

2. Senbere Teferi (ETH) 31:22

3. Caroline Kipkirui (KEN) 31:28

4. Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 31:53

5. Pauline Kamulu (KEN) 32:16

6. Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 32:47

7. Stella Chesang (UGA) 33:02

8. Daria Maslova (KGZ) 33:22

9. Salome Nyirarukundo (RWA) 33:31

10.Sanjivani Jadhav (IND) 33:38