It was only the third time Dennis Kimetto competed in arace outside Kenya. On Sunday he kept his cleansheet and additionally collected his first world record. After takingthe half marathons in Ras Al Khaimah and Berlin the 25 k triumph was the biggest success of his career sofar. He improved the world record by 32 seconds. Two years agofellow-Kenyan Sammy Kosgei had clocked 1:11:50 in the BIG 25Berlin.
A very fast men’s race developed right from the start. Aleading group of six runners passed the 5 k mark in 14:00, then reached the 10 k point after 28:21 and the 15 kpoint in 42:46 minutes. They were well inside the world record at thesepoints and kept the pace high. After 17 k Ethiopians Aschalew NeguseMeketa and Belay Asefa Bedada were dropped and it became an all Kenyanaffair in the leading group. Soon after that at the start of a slightuphill stretch Edwin Kiptoo lost contact as well. Dennis Kimetto andWilfred Kigen were running together with Jacob Kendagor. Kendagor hadbeen entered as a pacemaker, but then decided to continue to the finish.While he could not match the pace of Kimetto and Kigen in the finalstages he still ran a strong 1:11:59 for third place.
It was between23 and 24 k when Dennis Kimetto broke away from Wilfred Kigen and thenstormed into the Olympic Stadium to become a world record holder. Kigenclocked 1:11:29 for second and was also faster than the former worldrecord holder. Edwin Kiptoo (Kenya) took fourth with 1:12:39, followed by Aschalew Neguse Meketa (1:14:40), Moses Too (1:14:57) and Edwin Kimaiyo (bothKenya/1:15:13).
“It had been our aim to break the record. We knewthroughout the race that we were on time to do it,” said Dennis Kimetto,who hopes to be selected for the Kenyan team for the World Half MarathonChampionships in October. “Next year I want to run my marathon debut.And the long term goal in the marathon will be the world record,” the 28year-old said.
In contrast to the men’s race the women’s leading groupbroke up soon after the 5 k mark. From then on Caroline Chepkwony builta big lead. Guided by a pacemaker she passed the 10 k mark in a veryfast 32:11 minutes. She could not match this pace on the second half,but she was very happy with her time. 1:22:56 is the third fastest winningtime in the history of the event. The course record and world record ofMary Keitany (Kenya/1:19:53) were out of reach. “This is agreat course and it is very fast. I was around one minute faster than Ihad planned,” said 27 year-old Caroline Chepkwony, who was well ahead ofTaemo Shumye Woldegebriel (Ethiopia/1:25:21) andFrance’s Christelle Daunay(1:25:27). Consolater Yadaa (Kenya) was fourth with 1:26:13 while Gulume Tollesa Chala (Ethiopia) took fifth in 1:27:05.
More information is available at:www.berlin-runs.com
Dennis Kimetto breaks world record in BIG 25 Berlin
Kenya’s newcomer Dennis Kimetto breaks world record in BIG 25 Berlin - Dennis Kimetto stormed to aworld record at the BIG 25 Berlin: Kenya’s 28 year-old newcomer crossed the finish line of the traditional 25 k race in 1:11:18. Caroline Chepkwony (Kenya) was the women’s winner, clocking a world-class time as well with 1:22:56. Adding all running eventsof the day there were a total of 10,478 athletes competing in Germany’s oldest city road race. In the history of the event,which started back in 1981 and always had the finish inside the Berlin Olympic Stadium, this was already the seventh world record.
Like this? Let your friends know now!