Youngest from Kenyans
CARDIFF (GBR, Mar 26): In the women’s contest, there was no doubt that the five-strong Kenyan team was the best on the field of play. Led by Mary Wacera, the silver medalist from these championships in 2014, Team Kenya led right from the starter’s gun, completely controlling the race. By the 15-K mark (48:14) only one Kenyan, Pascalia Kipkoech, had fallen off the pace. Two Ethiopians, Netsanet Gudeta and Ganet Yalew, managed to hold the tempo with Wacera, and her Kenyan compatriots Peres Jepchirchir, Cynthia Limo, and Gladys Cheshire. They would soon find the pace, rain and cold too tough, especially with the modest hills near the end. At the end two remained and the youngest Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir found another speed range and won in 1:07:31 over Cynthia Limo 1:07:34. Third Wacera 1:07:54. “It was difficult,” Jepchirchir said. “The last two kilometers it was climbing the hill. Yeah, it was cold.” Kenya clearly won teams with final time 3:22:59. Ethiopia took a distant second in the team competition with a total time of 3:26:29. A young Japanese team was third (3:32:25). Best European team was Italy in 3:38:44 as 7th. Best non-African runner was Peru´s Gladys Tejeda as 9th in South American record 1:10:14 and best European Italian Veronica Inglese as 16th in 1:10:59.
Author
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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