Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands celebrates her gold medal (© Getty Images)
Just a week ago she triumphed at the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Udine, taking both the gold medal and a pair of World records * Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat was on the roads again on Sunday. She easily dominated the 37th Giro Podistico di Pettinengo, a road race taking place 90km far from Turin, in Northern Italy. The little-known Kenyan Hillary Bii won the men's race.
At the World Road Race Championships, Kiplagat had run a stunning 1:06:25 to cut 19 seconds from the previous World record in the Half Marathon, which had been set by South Africa's Elana Meyer 8 years before. In the process, the "Flying Dutchwoman" also broke the 20km World record with a time of 1:02:57*.
In Pettinengo Kiplagat had no rivals, given the last minute withdrawal of Australia's Benita Johnson. She pushed hard from the beginning of the hilly 4km course and she ran only against the clock, as in Udine. The course record was 12:16, set by Morocco's Zahra Ouaziz in 1999. Although still fatigued because of the effort, Kiplagat finished very close to that time, crossing the line in 12:21.
Behind her Kenya's Beatrice Jepchumba and Fridah Domongole took the other two places on the podium. Polish-born Marzena Michalska, who is married to the chief of the LOC Claudio Piana, was the first Italian (4th). Kenya's Margaret Okayo, one of the best marathon runner ever, who is taking a “sabbatical”, was far behind in 15th.
Bii's win in the men's race was a great surprise, as the Kenyan was making one of his first European appearances. He out-sprinted Ethiopia's Awash Habtamu Fikadu, while Kenya's Joel Kimurer took third. Last year's champion, Uganda's Wilson Busienei, had run in Udine as well and was not able to do better than a fourth place finish.
Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF
Selected results
Men (9.7km)
1. Hillary Bii, KEN, 27:00
2. Awash Habtamu Fikadu, ETH, 27:01
3. Joel Kimurer, KEN, 27:17
4. Wilson Busienei, UGA, 27:19
5. Samwel Shauri, TAN, 27:32
6. Philemon Serem Kipketer, KEN, 27:42
7. Kipsang Zakayo Biwott, KEN, 27:44
8. David Kirwa Chepkwony, KEN, 27:48
Women (4km)
1. Lornah Kiplagat, NED, 12:21
2. Beatrice Jepchumba, KEN, 12:52
3. Fridah Domongole, KEN, 12:56
4. Marzena Michalska, ITA, 13:04
* pending the usual ratification procedures
