Yomif Kejelcha wins the BOclassic 10km (© Mosna)
Yomif Kejelcha ran a course record of 27:42, while Nadia Battocletti secured her third successive victory at the BOclassic Alto Adige, a World Athletics Label road race, in Bolzano, Italy, on Wednesday (31).
Ethiopia’s two-time world 10,000m silver medallist Kejelcha took 17 seconds off the 10km course record set by his compatriot Telahun Haile Bekele last year, while Italy’s world 5000m and 10,000m medallist Battocletti ran 15:51 to complete a 5km hat-trick in Bolzano.
Kejelcha ran the first five 1250m laps in a group that also included Bekele, crowd favourite Yeman Crippa of Italy, Maxime Chaumeton of South Africa, Kenya’s Charles Rotich and Belgium’s John Heymans.
Kejelcha, the world half marathon record-holder, picked up the pace on the sixth lap. By the time he passed the start and finish area for the seventh time, Bekele had caught up. But on the final lap, Kejelcha pulled away again and clinched victory in 27:42. Bekele was runner-up this time in 27:47, while Crippa was third in 27:57, also finishing inside the previous record. Chaumeton finished fourth and Heymans finished fifth.
All eyes were on Battocletti in the women’s 5km and she took it relatively easy on the first two laps, running as part of a large group. She broke away in the second half of the race and eventually won in 15:51.
The battle for the runner-up spot was won by her compatriot Federica Del Buono as last year's fourth-place finisher this time clocked 16:04 minutes to take second place. The podium was completed by Ethiopia’s Ksanet Alem, who lost out to Del Buono in the final sprint. Great Britain’s Cari Hughes finished fourth, while Italy’s Valentina Gemetto finished fifth.
Organisers for World Athletics
Leading results
Women (5km)
1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 15:51
2 Federica Del Buono (ITA) 16:04
3 Ksanet Alem (ETH) 16:05
4 Cari Hughes (GBR) 16:06
5 Valentina Gemetto (ITA) 16:08
Men (10km)
1 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 27:42
2 Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH) 27:47
3 Yeman Crippa (ITA) 27:57
4 Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) 27:59
5 John Heymans (BEL) 28:17
