Results: Joyciline Jepkosgei Runs 1:04:51 to Break World Record at Valencia Half Marathon
by LetsRun.com
October 22, 2017
Joyciline Jepkosgei’s absolutely amazing 2017 year on the roads continued at the Trinidad Alfonso EDP Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday as she ran 1:04:51 to break her existing world record in the half marathon by one second. Pending ratification, this would be Jepkosgei’s sixth world record this year (in addition to one world best).
Jepkosgei first garnered the world’s attention at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon in April where she became the first woman under 65 minutes in the half marathon, running 64:52, and unbelievably also broke world records at 10k (30:04), 15k (45:37), and 20k (61:25) en route.
Then last month Jepkosgei returned to Prague and became the first woman under the 30-minute barrier on the roads as she ran 29:43 at the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10K. For good measure, Jepkosgei’s 5k split (14:33) in September broke the 5k world best en route.
Today in Spain, Jepkosgei only broke one world record. According to the IAAF, she was paced by Kenyan steeplechase star (editor’s note: there are two Ezekiel Kemboi’s) Ezekiel Kemboi and she went out ridiculously fast again, hitting 5k in 14:52 and 10k in 30:09. In her world record run in April, her splits had been 14:53 and 30:04.
Something had to give as her 10k split was 1:03:36 half marathon pace. Jepkosgei hit 15k in 45:59 (22 seconds behind the pace in Prague), but her average pace was still way ahead of the world record. She would hold on better to the finish today than in Prague as at 20k (1:01:30) she was only five seconds off of her split in Prague. She managed to have just enough the final kilometer to get the world record.
In the men’s race, Abraham Cheroben, the 2017 world leader with his 58:40 from Copenhagen, got his third win in Valencia in 59:11.
Valencia will host the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships and have a mass race as well for those wanting to get a fast time.
Top results below from IAAF and race website. The IAAF has a full recap here.
Men
1 Abraham Cheroben (BRN) 59:11
2 Leul Gebresilase (ETH) 59:18
3 Fikadu Haftu (ETH) 59:22
4 Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR) 59:47
5 Mustapha El Aziz (MAR) 1:00:51
6 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 1:00:53
7 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 1:00:53
8 Mathew Kisorio (KEN) 1:01:17
Women
1 Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 1:04:51 WR
2 Fancy Chemutai (KEN) 1:05:36
3 Lucy Cheruiyot (KEN) 1:07:30
4 Gelete Burka (ETH) 1:08:17
5 Paskalia Chepkorir (KEN) 1:09:13
6 Trihas Gebre (ESP) 1:09:57
7 Birhan Mhretu (ETH) 1:09:59
8 Azmera Gebru Hagos (ETH) 1:10:39