Athletics-Jepchirchir breaks own women’s-only half marathon record

Gydnia, POLAND, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir bettered the women’s-only half marathon world record when she took gold in a closely-fought race at the World Athletics half marathon championships in Gdynia on Saturday.

Jepchirchir, 27, finished in a time of one hour, five minutes and 16 seconds to improve her own mark set in Prague last month, claiming the title for the second time having won it in Cardiff in 2016.

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya celebrates after beating the World Record (1:05:16) and winning the women’s race of the 2020 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, in October 17, 2020. (Photo by MATEUSZ SLODKOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by MATEUSZ SLODKOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Germany’s Melat Yisak Kejeta crossed the line two seconds behind to take silver while Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw was third a further second adrift.

Uganda’s 19-year-old Jacob Kiplimo won the men’s race with a championship record time of 58 minutes and 49 seconds to upset Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie who took silver. Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn finished third.

Kandie was the fastest man over the distance this year having run 58:38 in Prague last month.

Kiplimo’s compatriot Joshua Cheptegei, who holds both the 5,000m and 10,000m world records, finished in a time of 59:21 on his half marathon debut to earn fourth place.

The event was originally scheduled for March but was postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.