L. MathekaChepngeno wins Houston half marathon as Korir settles for second place
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 16.01.22. | 18:41
Ryan Hall finished second to break the American record set in 2018
Kenya's Vicoty Chepngeno, the favourite in the women's Houston half marathon lived up to expectations, clocking 1:05.03 to triumph in the World Athletics Elite Label event held on Sunday 16 January.
The 28-year-old, running in Houston for the first time, headed into the race with an impressive record in US road races and her win adds to the tally.
Incredible times at the Houston Half Marathon!
— Fast Women (@fast_women) January 16, 2022
1. Vicoty Chepngeno 1:05:03
2. Sara Hall 1:07:15
3. Dom Scott 1:07:32
4. Fiona O'Keeffe 1:07:42
5. Jessica Judd 1:07:52
6 Emily Durgin 1:07:54
7 Caren Maiyo 1:08:41
8 Dakotah Lindwurm 1:09:36
9 Nell Rojas 1:09:42
10 Frisbie 1:10:27
She had won nine of her past 10 half marathons on US roads, and held a lifetime best of 1:07:22 set in her most recent outing over the distance, in Philadelphia two months ago. Her time in Houston is a new PB in the distance.
Chepngeno led the race through 5 in 15:15 with Caren Maiyo in second place (15:49). Sara Hall, Dom Scott, Fiona O'Keeffe, Emily Durgin, and Jessica Judd were all together in the chasing pack.
Men's results at the Houston Half Marathon.
— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) January 16, 2022
🇨🇦record for Rory Linkletter (61:08) in his first race under new coach Ryan Hall...who broke the 🇺🇸record on the same course 15 years ago. pic.twitter.com/oOhbYR6XRD
Her pace dropped slightly but she still kept the lead as she went through 10km in 30:32 and 15km in 46:94, going through 5km splits in 15:15, 15:17 and 15:32. In the next 5km, she kept a 15:41 pace to go through 20km in 1:01.45 as she headed for the win.
Hall broke the American record as she clocked 1:07:15, breaking Molly Huddle's record set in 2018 by 10 seconds.
In the men's race, Ethiopian Milkesa Tolosa won in 1:00.24 ahead of Kenya's John Korir (1:0027) and compatriot Wilfred Kimitei(1:00. 44) who completed the podium places.
The 2019 world U-20 cross-country champion, Tolosa still only 21, finished ahead of Kimitei in Lisbon in November, clocking a PB of 59:48 in what was just his second half marathon to date. Earlier in 2021 he set a 5000m PB of 12:58.28 and finished 10th in the Olympic final at that distance.
Kimitei also competed in Lisbon towards the end of last year, albeit in a different event to the one where Korir raced, and finished 11th in 1:00:03 – just 23 seconds shy of the PB he set in Ras Al Khaimah in 2018.
