2013 Vattenfall BERLIN HALF: Jacob Kendagor and Helah Kiprop are victors, release from SCC Events, note by Larry Eder

Jacob Kendagor wins Vattenfall Berlin Half,

photo courtesy of SCC Events/Media4

The Vattenfall Berlin Half marathon is another example of the strength of road running in Europe in general and in Germany, in particular. Jacob Kendagor and Helah Kiprop lead 31,194 runners through the historic course.

Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Helah Kiprop win Vattenfall BERLIN

HALF MARATHON with fast times

Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Helah Kiprop took the 33rd edition of the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON. For the first time in his career Kendagor clocked a time of 59:36 minutes. It is the fifth fastest result in the world this year, discounting courses of those races that are not eligible for official records. Only the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in the United Arab Emirates produced better times than the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON. Helah Kiprop achieved great result as well, dipping under 68 minutes with 67:54. It is the third fastest time ever run in the traditional event. In cold but sunny conditions with temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius a record number of 30,114 runners had entered the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

In the men’s race Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Silas Kipruto opened a gap after roughly half point. It was then with four kilometres to go that 28 year-old Kendagor left behind Silas Kipruto. Clocking 61:15 he substantially improved his personal best. Before the race Kendagor had not been faster than 61:15. So today he was 1:39 minutes faster. His best race so far had also come in Berlin: In 2012 Kendagor took third in the 25 k race with a world-class 1:11:59. “I am very happy to be back in Berlin and achieveing another fine personal best,” Kendagor said. Behind Kendagor it was Silas Kipruto who took second with 60:12 minutes, followed by two more Kenyans: Victor Kipchirchir (60:27) and Kenneth Kipkemboi (60:45).

On the day of her 28th birthday Helah Kiprop triumphed and successfully took revenge: It was a year ago when Philes Ongori was the winner of the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON and Helah Kiprop had taken second. Now it was the other way round. Helah Kiprop had taken the lead early. In the end she was seven seconds ahead with a time of 67:54. Fellow-Kenyan Ongori followed (68:01) and Japan’s Mai Ito took third with 70:00. “It felt very cold at first, but then it was getting better during the race,” said Helah Kiprop.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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