18th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Birmingham 2009

News

IAAF World Half Marathon – Women’s race Preview

08 Oct 2009

There will be a new name on the women’s roll of honour when the IAAF/EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships are staged in Birmingham on Sunday. But, even in the absence of triple champions Paula Radcliffe and Lornah Kiplagat, a fascinating and highly competitive race remains in prospect.

Start with the basic ingredients of a dry day forecast with sunny spells, the atmosphere of a city centre race, and add the fastest half marathoner of the year. Mix with the 2008 World Cross Country silver medallist and a big rising star from Japan and bring to the boil with the joint most successful athlete in the history of the championships.

The taste may not be quite the same as it would have been had either the tonsillitis-hit Radcliffe or the injured Kiplagat been in the line-up but it is still a dish that smells mighty good.

Britain is the first country to host the event three times, having staged the inaugural championships on Tyneside in 1992 and the 2001 edition in Bristol. On both previous occasions, the winner came from the home nation – Liz McColgan in 1992 and Radcliffe in 2001 – but an overseas champion is sure to be crowned on this occasion.

Radcliffe’s three wins, and McColgan’s one, see Britain out in front as the country with the greatest number of women’s individual champions. But Kenya, with three wins, could move joint top as they field what appears to be the strongest team of the 28 nations entered for the women’s race.

Remarkably, for a nation with Kenya’s reputation, it is 10 years since they last celebrated taking the women’s individual title. Furthermore, only one Kenyan woman, has triumphed in this race. Tegla Loroupe took three titles in a row, from 1997 to 1999.

Heading the attack for a second Kenyan winner is Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, who tops the 2009 rankings with her 1:07.00 victory in Lille last month. She also holds the fastest personal best of the 64 entrants, clocking 1:06.48 for the silver medal behind the Netherlands’ Kiplagat in Udine, Italy, in 2007.

All five members of the Kenyan team have personal best below 1:10 and any one has the potential to win. Second fastest in the field (1:07.50) is Philes Ongori and, with Filomenah Cheyech (1:08.44), Peninah Arusei (1:08.47) and Carolinen Kilel (1:09.03) completing the squad, Kenya look nailed on for the team gold medal.

Only Ethiopia appear to have a chance against Kenya in the three-to-score (cumulative time) team competition but they are handicapped by fielding only two sub 1:10 runners – Abebu Gelan (1:07.57) and Aberu Kebede (1:08.43) – while depending on Mestawet Tufa for a successful move up in distance.

The 26-year-old Mestawet has long experience of major championships, taking silver over 3000m at the 2001 World Youth Championships and finishing runner-up at the World Cross Country Championships, in Edinburgh, last year. Her half marathon best – 1:13.39 in Addis Ababa in 2003 – is less a guide to how she should do in Birmingham than her 10km victory in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in 31:15, last month.

The non-African challenge should come from the Japanese who will be seeking to improve on their four successive team bronze medals but who seem likely to make it five in a row. They are led by Yurika Nakamura, currently the hottest distance runner in Japan, and Yukiko Akaba.

The 29-year-old Akaba set a personal best 1:08.11 last year and, with 1:08.50 this year, she is the fastest non-African in the field. But the 23-year-old Nakamura is rising fast with a personal best 1:09.20 set this year and a confident statement that she wants to run 1:08 in Birmingham.

Then there’s Lidia Simon whose eight medals put her joint top with Loroupe as the most successful athlete in the history of the championships. The Romanian has four individual and four team medals but none since 2000 and, at 36, the 2001 marathon world champion is likely to be more a name than a factor in proceedings.

The British squad of Alyson Dixon, Claire Hallissey, Gemma Miles, Rebecca Robinson and Michelle Ross-Cope may be without Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi but each has set her personal best this year. Any one of Britain, Russia or the United States could sneak into the team medals if any of the three favourite nations slip.