Birthday boy Matata, Kipruto clash in Bogota Half record hunt
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 26.07.25. | 15:14
The current record has lasted 14 years, set by Geoffrey Mutai
Reigning Beijing Half Marathon champion, Charles Matata will be in action on Sunday, 27 July, chasing another title at the 25th Bogotá Half Marathon, a perfect birthday present should he surmount the challenge.
Turning 28 on the day of, Bogota presents a chance for the 1:00:05 runner to not only lower his personal best (PB), but also break the course record of 1:02:20, set by compatriot and two-time New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
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Matata ran his best time at the Vedanta Delhi Half in 2023, finishing second behind Daniel Simiu Ebenyo who clocked 59:27 for victory.
This will be the Kenyan's fourth half of the year, having opened his season with a 1:00:36 win at the Arrow Venloop in March.
He lined up for victory in Beijing in April before placing second at the Guizhou Zhenning Huangguoshu Half Marathon on 29 June in China.
Attention will, however, be on reigning Olympic bronze medalist Benson Kipruto who is using the race as part of his preparations for a marathon fall marathon.
A three-time major marathon winner, Kipruto has a personal best of 2:02:24 in the marathon, when he set the course record in Tokyo 2024, in addition to having run a time of 1:01 in Mexico, at a similar altitude to Bogotá, making him a candidate to surpass the record.
"I think I can run 1:02 in Bogotá, if the weather conditions allow it. I will run a marathon after this race, and it will be a great test here, because I have prepared well," Kipruto told organisers.
Joining the duo will be 2008 Olympic 5,000m bronze medalist Edwin Soi in the chase for the elusive course record.
Soi, a former world bronze medalist recently completed in the Athletics Kenya (AK) national championships on 27 June, placing second in the 10,000m in 28:29.19, finishing behind Silas Senchura (28:26.17).
“I believe the competitive field assembled this year and favorable weather make it possible to go for the record,” Soi told Star.
Also in the race is Philemon Kiplimo, the 2022 Prague Half Marathon champion, Cali 10km Road race champion Ezra Tanui and Yangzhou Half Marathon champion Edward Koonyo.
Adding to the depth is Venice Marathon champion Solomon Mutai of Uganda, 2023 Belgrade Marathon champion Chakib Lachgar of Spain and 2022 Hannover Marathon champion Hendrik Pfeiffer of Germany.
Mohamed El Ghazouany, the 2024 Belgrade Half champion who has wins from Warsaw Half Marathon and the Bilbao 10K in Spain, this year, heads to the Colombian capital ready to challenge the East Africans.
The South American charge is led by Bolivian Héctor Garibay, a national marathon record holder with 2:07:44, a record achieved in Mexico City, when he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This season, Garibay was second in the traditional Quito “Ultimas Noticias 15K” Race in Ecuador.
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