Hagos Gebrhiwet wins in Barcelona (© Sportmedia)
Loice Chemnung set a women’s course record of 1:04:01 while Hagos Gebrhiwet also claimed a commanding men’s race win in 58:05 at the Hyundai Mitja Marató de Barcelona by Brooks – a World Athletics Gold Label road race – on Sunday (15).
Both winners achieved the fastest half marathon performances in the world so far this year with dominant performances. Kenya’s Chemnung moved to sixth on the world all-time list and won the race by two minutes ahead of USA’s Weini Kelati Frezghi, who improved her own North American record by five seconds to 1:06:04. Ethiopia’s Gebrhiwet, meanwhile, finished more than a minute clear of Switzerland’s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (59:25).
Chemnung and Kelati Frezghi ran close to each other alongside male runners in the early stages of the race, but Chemnung pulled away by the 5km mark and was seven seconds ahead of Kelati Frezghi at that stage – 15:20 to 15:27.
Chemnung, who finished fourth in the Chicago Marathon in October, increased her advantage to 42 seconds by 10km after picking up the pace and passing that checkpoint in 30:09.
She maintained the momentum to hit 15km in 45:17 and her happiness at the finish line was clear – the 28-year-old breaking the tape in 1:04:01 to improve on the course record of 1:04:13 set by her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei last year.
Loice Chemnung runs a course record in Barcelona (© Sportmedia)
Kelati Frezghi followed her home in 1:06:04, while Ethiopia’s Diniya Kedir Abaraya passed USA’s Taylor Roe to clinch third place in 1:06:28.
Gebrhiwet looked on a mission in the men’s race. The 2016 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist and Lobalu broke away and were two seconds apart at 5km – Gebrhiwet leading in 13:52.
He sped up and ran 13:26 for the next 5km, running solo to reach the 10km checkpoint in 27:18, 25 seconds ahead of Lobalu. Although Gebrhiwet couldn’t maintain that pace and hit 15km in 41:58, he still moved further away from his rivals and had an advantage of 52 seconds at that stage.
The world 5km champion, who will make his marathon debut in London in April, continued untroubled to win in 58:05. Lobalu was second in 59:26 and Emmanuel Roudolff of France third in 59:37.
Leading results
Women
1 Loice Chemnung (KEN) 1:04:01
2 Weini Kelati Frezghi (USA) 1:06:04
3 Diniya Kedir Abaraya (ETH) 1:06:28
4 Taylor Roe (USA) 1:06:52
5 Magdalyne Yeko Masai (KEN) 1:07:42
6 Domenika Mayer (GER) 1:08:08
7 Netsanet Desta Gebre (ETH) 1:08:10
8 Mekdes Woldu (FRA) 1:08:36
Men
1 Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) 58:05
2 Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (SUI) 59:26
3 Emmanuel Roudolff (FRA) 59:37
4 Samwel Nyamai Mailu (KEN) 59:42
5 Hagos Eyob (ETH) 59:42
6 Jack Rayner (AUS) 59:53
7 Amos Kipkemoi Bett (KEN) 58:53
8 Zak Mahamed (GBR) 1:00:46
Kitata pips Hiyrden in Seville Marathon sprint finish
Shura Kitata narrowly pipped his Ethiopian compatriot Asrar Hiyrden to victory at the Zurich Maratón Sevilla – a World Athletics Elite Label road race – on Sunday (15).
Both athletes clocked 2:03:59 – the first sub-2:04 performances of the year – and Kitata was only confirmed as the winner after a photo finish.
Shura Kitata and Asrar Hiyrden at the end of the Seville Marathon (© Juan José Úbeda / Zurich Maratón de Sevilla)
The women’s race was won by Finland’s Alisa Vainio in a national record of 2:20:39 – a fourth marathon within five months for the world fifth-place finisher.
Kitata, who won the London Marathon in 2020, and 2022 Seville Marathon champion Hiyrden formed part of a group of six that reached halfway behind the pacemakers in 1:01:21. Hiyrden was a few seconds back at 30km, which Kitata, Capital Degefa, Dejene Hailu and Justus Kipkorir Limo reached in 1:27:23, but the former winner rejoined his rivals a short while later.
Degefa and Limo were dropped after 35km and then the leading trio passed 40km in 1:57:23, before Kitata and Hiyrden kicked in pursuit of victory.
Each athlete surged but couldn’t lose the other and they reached the finish line together, diving through the tape in a dramatic finish. Kitata was eventually confirmed as the winner, with Hailu clinching third place in 2:04:15 and Limo finishing fourth in 2:04:55.
Vainio had a different strategy. She was happy to sit in the chase pack that passed halfway in 1:10:34 and then gradually moved through the field in the second half of the race.
She passed Ethiopia’s long-time leader Mulat Tekle, making her marathon debut, after the 35km mark and ran a negative split of 1:10:05 to reach the finish in 2:20:39. Kenya’s Beatrice Jepchirchir Cheserek followed her home in 2:21:56 and Tekle took third place in 2:22:03.
Italy’s Elisa Palmero finished fourth on her marathon debut in 2:24:10, while European marathon champion Fatima Ouhaddou was the leading Spanish finisher as she clocked 2:24:16 for fifth place.
Leading results
Women
1 Alisa Vainio (FIN) 2:20:39
2 Beatrice Jepchirchir Cheserek (KEN) 2:21:56
3 Mulat Tekle (ETH) 2:22:03
4 Elisa Palmero (ITA) 2:24:10
5 Fatima Ouhaddou (ESP) 2:24:16
6 Jackline Chelal (KEN) 2:24:19
7 Rebecca Lonedo (ITA) 2:24:28
8 Rebecca Chepkwemoi (KEN) 2:24:52
Men
1 Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:03:59
2 Asrar Hiyrden (ETH) 2:03:59
3 Dejene Hailu (ETH) 2:04:15
4 Justus Kipkorir Limo (KEN) 2:04:55
5 Capital Degefa (ETH) 2:05:36
6 Tsedat Abeje Ayana (ETH) 2:06:32
7 Feyisa Mulu Gudisa (ETH) 2:06:34
8 Limenih Getachew Yizengaw (ETH) 2:07:16
