by Alfonz Juck
Joan Chelimo, RAK Half Marathon, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRunChelimo close to WR
PRAGUE (CZE, Apr 7): Kenya’s Joan Chelimo missed the world record by just 13 seconds, running 65:04 at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon, while Benard Kimeli took a close men’s race in 59:47. Chelimo and pacemaker Mike Chesire kept up with Caroline Kipkirui’s pace over the first 5k of the largely flat course in almost ideal conditions, clocking 14:51 – on pace for 62:40. Kipkirui dropped off from 6km and Chelimo’s 10km split was 30:14, still on course to break the mark by a minute. She slowed a bit more to 45:54 for 15km and her eventual time rated fifth best all-time. Kipkirui eventually finished second in 66:09 with Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa third in 68:09. Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova broke the 24-year-old Czech record with 71:01 in eighth. Kimeli led three runners under the one hour-mark in the men’s race with Geoffrey Yegon (59:56) and Peter Kwemoi (59:58) finishing second and third respectively. Best European was Italian Eyob Faniel as 10th in 62:27. A grand total of 11 668 runners competed in the twentieth Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon.
Joan Chelimo, RAK half marathon, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRunHere’s an instagram of some of my favorite characters on the road racing circuit….
