Deriba Merga takes down a strong field in the RAK Half (© Victah Sailer)
The 2011 Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, fields impressive runners for both men’s and women’s competitions. Neither of the 2010 winners, Moroccan Ahmed Baday nor women’s Nina Rillstone of New Zealand will be defending their titles on Sunday (24), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strong athletes present here.
In the men’s race there are three runners, who have broken the magical 60-minute barrier in the Half Marathon. Twenty three-year-old Kenyan Jonathan Maiyo has the best personal best having run 59:08 when he finished second in Rotterdam 2009.
But the number one favourite in the race must be 28-year-old Ethiopian Deribe Merga, who has already run 59:24 this season winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon. Merga has also done well in major championships with a fourth place at the 2008 Olympic Marathon and another fourth place at the World Half Marathon Championships. The third runner under 60 minutes is 29-year-old Kiplimo Kimutai, who has a 59:44 personal best from South Shields in 2009.
Other contenders include Kenyans Willy Mwangi and Nicholas Kamakya. Mwangi will race for the first time in 2011 coming off a 1:00:07 personal best performance in 2010. Kamakya is one of the few runners returning to this race from 2010. Kamakya was second last year and ran a 1:00:09 personal best in 2009. Also Eritrean Abraham Tadesse, fifth last year, will also return, and has a best of 1:01:25 in 2009. The best Chinese athlete in the race is 18-year-old Chen Shangdong, who has a best of 1:02:33 in this distance.
In the women’s race the fastest starter in the field is Ethiopian Mare Dibaba. The 21-year-old ran a 1:07:13 personal best last year in Ras Al Khaimah and her 1:08:57 season’s best was achieved in the same venue in February. There are three additional sub 70-minute runners in the race, all Kenyans.
Twenty-year-old Joyce Chepkirui was fifth at the 2010 World Half Marathon Championships and has a 1:09:25 personal best from November 2010. Jaqueline Kiplimo, 27, was third in Yangzhou last year and ran her 1:09:35 personal best in 2008. Eunice Kales, 27, was eighth in Ras Al Khaimah recording a season’s best 1:10:41 and ran a 1:09:50 PB last season.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Note: Preview based upon startlists available on Friday (22) morning CET.
