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L. MathekaMateiko, Kwemoi headline Istanbul half marathon slated for March
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 15.02.22. | 20:00
Organisers from Spor Istanbul are ready to stage another high-quality race under strict hygiene restrictions and expect a field of around 8,000 half marathon runners.
Kenya's Daniel Mateiko is the fastest competitor on the men's elite list to the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon, an Elite Label Road Race of World Athletics, set for 27 March.
With a personal best of 58:26, the Kenyan headlines a list of runners, his time putting him in the top ten fastest half marathon runners of all times.
Event organisers, on Tuesday 15 February, announced some of the main contenders for the men’s race of the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon.
+ FINAL REGISTRATION DATE IS SO CLOSER for N Kolay 17. Istanbul Half Marathon! 🏃🏻_🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻_🏃🏻♀️ You can visit https://t.co/L6CGM4ERz1 to register. 🙌🏻
— Spor İstanbul (@ibbsporistanbul) February 15, 2022
This year, we will be running after brand new records on the Historical Peninsula racecourse, which witnessed the +
Four runners on the start list feature personal bests which are faster than the current course record of 59:35, established by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie.
Since three of them have achieved their personal bests last year they are in a promising position for more success when they head to Istanbul.
24 year-old Mateiko achieved a major breakthrough in 2021 where he, first, broke the one hour barrier in Copenhagen with 59:25, then he improved by almost a full minute to 58:26 for third place in Valencia.
Fellow-Kenyan Rodgers Kwemoi is the second fastest athlete at the moment with a personal best of 59:16. He ran this time in his debut half marathon in Valencia.
Ethiopians Solomon Berihu and Huseyidin Esa will travel to Istanbul with personal records of 59:17 and 59:32 respectively. While Berihu clocked his PB when he was runner-up in New Delhi in 2019 Esa only emerged on the international road running circuit last year.
Abel Kipchumba wins #ValenciaHalfMarathon ahead of favourite Rhonex Kipruto with Daniel Mateiko finishing third in an all Kenyan podium sweep.
— Matheka (@Lynmatheka) October 24, 2021
Abel overtaking Kipruto in the last 50m to cross the line first.
The 21 year-old made an instant impact with a second place in Lisbon in 59:39 and then improved four weeks later at his second international race, winning in Poznan (Poland) with his current PB.
Turkey’s Aras Kaya will hope to do better than recently at the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon. The former Kenyan was 12th in Istanbul with 63:36 last year, the same position he had taken two years earlier in this race.
In between, Kaya clocked his PB of 60:51 when he finished 24th in the World Championships in Gdynia, Poland.
Competing for Turkey since 2016 Kaya won two European Cross Country titles and finished runner-up in the continental championships just two months ago.
