Kipchumba wins Valencia Half Marathon as Ethiopia's Gidey breaks the women's record

Kenya's Abel Kipchumba, the fastest half marathon runner this year has beat a formidable field in 58:07 minutes to be crowned the Valencia half Marathon champion.

The half marathon held on Sunday 24 October 2021 saw Kipchumba go up against a field that had six sub 59 runners including the 10km world record holder, Rhonex Kipruto who was making his second appearance at the Valencia Half Marathon.

Kipruto, Kipchumba as well as Philemon Kiplimo and Daniel Mateiko exchanged leads after the pacers dropped off, with Kipchumba looking strong for the better part of the race.

With about 3km to go, it was down to Kipruto and Kipchumba running shoulder to shoulder but Kipruto made his move with one and a half kilometers of running left, a mistake that might have cost him a win in valencia.

With 50m to go, Kipchumba went to the sprint finish and Kipruto had nothing left in him to put up a fight in response to Kipchumba's sprint and he settled for second place in 58:09.

Mateiko completed the Kenyan sweep in a personal best time of 58:26, lowering his PB by 59 seconds. Kenya's Kennedy Kimutai and Kiplimo came in fourth and fifth in 58:28 and 58:34 respectively.

Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, the two-time defending world champion at 5,000 meters was the only non Kenyan to make the top ten in the men's race, coming in sixth place as the race produced seven sub 59 times.

Rodgers Kwemoi, on his half marathon debut held on to the leading group for as long as he could, only dropping down when the group was split into two to finish ninth in a time of 59:16

Meanwhile I'm the women's race that had been touted as a race between Letesenbet Gidey, the 5000m and 10,000m world record holder and women's half marathon world record holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw soon became a one-woman affair with the former racing against time chasing the world record.

Gidey broke the women's half marathon record, on her debut, in a time of 1:02.51, a world record pending ratification as Yehualaw came in second on 1:03.51 which was well within the previous record.

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui clocked 1:04.53 for third place while Brenda Jepleting was fourth in 1:05.44.