Kenya’s Shadrack Kimining
and Violah Jepchumba of Bahrain will aim to defend their Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon titles tomorrow against stellar fields in the Welsh capital.
Memories are fresh in the mind of an epic race on virtually the same course at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2016. On that occasion, Geoffrey Kamworor recovered from a start-line fall to take victory, while Mo Farah had to settle for the bronze medal.
Apart from on that day, Wales has arguably never seen such a fine line-up as the one assembled for the 15th edition of this race tomorrow.
The contest for the £2500 first prize in the men’s race would seem to be more open, with a few capable of going with the 59:50 pace requested. Kimining was something of an unknown when he arrived in Cardiff last year for his first race outside Kenya. He caused a shock in setting the course record of 1:00:53 but since then has improved his PB to 1:00:07 when finishing seventh in Ras Al-Khaimah. The 21-year-old has also recorded three other 61-minute half marathons this year.
The fastest in the field on paper, however, is his compatriot Wilfred Murgor, who recorded 59:57 when second in Prague in 2015. He also has a 2:09:37 marathon to his name. John Lotiang, whose PB of 1:00:16 came when he finished third in Prague in 2013, is also in the field. He also won the Warsaw Half Marathon earlier this year and missed his PB by 23 seconds in Gothenburg.
Eliud Kiptanui, who was second at the 2015 Berlin Marathon with 2:05:21, will also be a big threat.
Since winning in Cardiff last year in a course record of 1:08:13, Jepchumba, formerly of kenya, has become the fifth quickest ever at the distance. In Prague in April, her 1:05:22 left her 30 seconds behind Joyciline Jepkosgei’s world record after going through 10 kilometres in a remarkable 30:05.
In fact, her 1:06:06 to win in Usti Nad Labem just two weeks ago is only her third quickest for the distance as she also ran 1:05:51 to win in Prague in 2016. Her CV boasts nine sub-70-minute clockings.
The 26-year-old could confirm herself as one of the most exciting women’s endurance prospects in the world with victory in Cardiff, especially if she succeeds in going with the lead pacemaker at a planned 1:05:50.