Josh Kerr on his way to a race record at the 5th Avenue Mile (© New York Road Runners)
Britain’s Josh Kerr broke the men’s race record while USA’s Karissa Schweizer equalled the women’s to win at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile in New York on Sunday (8).
A month on from claiming Olympic 1500m silver in Paris, Kerr retained his 5th Avenue Mile title in 3:44.3, smashing the event record of 3:47.52 set by Sydney Maree in the first year of the race in 1981. The time is faster than the world record for the distance on the roads, but the course in New York is not record eligible.
USA’s Josh Hoey finished as runner-up in 3:48.9, followed by Kenya’s Amon Kemboi in 3:49.3, those times also being among the top 10 in race history.
Schweizer won the women’s race in 4:14.8, tying Laura Muir’s event record from 2022.
Kenya’s Dorcas Ewoi was second in 4:17.3 and her compatriot Susan Ejore was third in 4:18.3.
Chepkorir and Kitiyo win Prague 10km
Kenya’s Diana Chepkorir and Dennis Kibet Kitiyo claimed wins in contrasting styles at the Birell 10K Race, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, in Prague on Saturday (7).
Diana Chepkorir wins the Birell 10K Race Prague (© Organisers)
Kitiyo kicked away from his rivals in the closing stages to win the men’s race in 27:17, while Chepkorir solo ran her way to victory in the women’s race, clocking 30:12.
They each led a Kenyan top two, as Kitiyo was followed by Vincent Kibet Langat (27:25) and Chepkorir by Miriam Chebet (31:28).
Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku had taken control of the men’s race after the pacemaker stepped aside after around 10 minutes of running, and both Worku and Kitiyo formed part of a breakaway group of four by the halfway point, which was passed in 13:29.
Kitiyo saved enough for a final surge and managed to create a gap on his rivals, eventually winning by eight seconds. Worku was third in 27:32 and Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi fourth in 27:39.
Chepkorir led the women’s race from gun to tape. She had a lead of 36 seconds by 5km, which she reached in 14:43, and powered on to win by 76 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Lemlem Nibret followed Chepkorir and Chebet to claim third place in 32:20, while Britain’s Samantha Harrison was fourth in 32:47.
Leading results
Women
1 Diana Chepkorir (KEN) 30:12
2 Miriam Chebet (KEN) 31:28
3 Lemlem Nibret (ETH) 32:20
4 Samantha Harrison (GBR) 32:47
5 Purity Kajuju Gitonga (KEN) 32:55
Men
1 Dennis Kibet Kitiyo (KEN) 27:17
2 Vincent Kibet Langat (KEN) 27:25
3 Tadese Worku (ETH) 27:32
4 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 27:39
5 Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto (KEN) 27:50
Great North Run titles for Ngugi-Cooper and Kipchumba
It was a similar story at the Great North Run at a wet Tyneside on Sunday (8), with contrasting half marathon wins secured by Kenya's Mary Ngugi-Cooper and Abel Kipchumba. The women produced a thrilling mass finish at the World Athletics Label road race, but from the start there was only one man in it.
Six women dominated from start to finish: Kenya’s Ngugi-Cooper, Sheila Chepkirui and Vivian Cheruiyot, plus Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi and Megertu Alemu and Britain’s Eilish McColgan, whose mother Liz won this race when it was the World Championships in 1992.
Ngugi-Cooper and Chepkirui led from Teferi and Alemu, with former winner Cheruiyot and McColgan forming the lead pack across the Tyne Bridge and through the first mile in 5:05. The sextet maintained that pace for the entire race, passing 5km in 16:03, 10km in 32:20 and 15km in 48:20. All looked comfortable as they swung downhill on to the coast road and the final mile.
The experienced Cheruiyot, who is now 40, moved up, but then was the first to drop when the others responded. Five were in contention with 200m to go, then it turned into a fight between Ngugi-Cooper and the Ethiopian pairing. The win went to the 35-year-old Kenyan, who as Mary Wacera was world half marathon runner-up a decade ago.
“It was mentally tough because everyone was there,” she said, referring to the pack. Ngugi-Cooper has strong British connections. Her coach is Steve Cram, she has a British husband, Chris Cooper, and spends a lot of the year in Leeds. “I guess that helped,” she joked, referring to the wet conditions.
While Ngugi-Cooper had company for 13.1 miles, Kipchumba was alone, apart from his watch which he checked at the mile and 5km points, so clearly signposted on the route from Newcastle to South Shields. He would have known that he passed 5km in a snappy 13:37.
The Kenyan, who only arrived in town on Saturday due to a two-day visa delay, pulled clear in the third mile with Sondre Nordstad Moen giving chase. At 10km, Kipchumba was 25 seconds up (28:01 vs 28:26), but both Moen and 2021 winner Marc Scott (28:51) weren’t losing too much more ground. That picture was only temporary as Kipchumba surged again past halfway. After that, the most significant development was that Scott caught Moen in the 12th mile.
Up front, Kipchumba looked more like a middle-distance runner with the finish in sight, and clearly knew that a sub-one hour was in prospect. He covered the last 176m from 13 miles in 24 seconds to clock 59:52.
“I decided to move early, and then I maintained,” he reflected, summing up the race in a sentence.
Mark Butler for World Athletics
Leading results
Women
1 Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) 67:40
2 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 67:41
3 Megertu Alemu (ETH) 67:42
4 Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 67:44
5 Eilish McColgan (GBR) 67:45
6 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 67:54
20km: Ngugi-Cooper 64:33
Men
1 Abel Kipchumba (KEN) 59:52
2 Marc Scott (GBR) 61:01
3 Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR) 61:25
4 Filmon Tesfu (NED) 62:15
5 Evans Chebet (KEN) 62:31
6 Frank Lara (USA) 62:48
20km: Kipchumba 56:57
