In a stunning display of Kenyan dominance, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir led her compatriots to a podium sweep in the women’s half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.
Jepchirchir clocked a course record of 1:07:25 to secure the gold medal, closely followed by Margaret Chelimo in silver with a time of 1:07:26, and Catherine Reline took the bronze in 1:07:34.
Jepchirchir’s victory showcased her patience and strategic prowess, allowing the race’s pace to remain steady until she made her decisive move.
The early stages of the race saw a tightly packed group of 22 athletes, but as the kilometres passed, the field dwindled. Jepchirchir and her compatriots took turns leading the pack, with British athletes also in contention.
As the race approached the final stages, the Kenyan athletes, including Jepchirchir, Chelimo Kipkemboi, and Reline Amanang’ole, applied pressure, leaving just a handful of contenders. In the last kilometre, Jepchirchir made her move, surging to the front and securing her gold medal. Her change of pace left her competitors in awe and secured her another global title.
Jepchirchir expressed her joy for Team Kenya and revealed her upcoming plans, including running the New York City Marathon and aiming to defend her Olympic marathon title.
Silver medalist Chelimo Kipkemboi was proud to run for Kenya and shared her excitement about her progress. Bronze medalist Amanang’ole cherished her first experience in this event.
The Kenyan women’s impressive performance highlighted their dominance in long-distance running and their determination to excel on the global stage.
