Ruth Chepngetich smashed the course record to win the Bogota Half Marathon over the weekend.
Chepngetich registered 1:10:39, taking almost a minute off the course record of 1:11:35 set last year by World Half Marathon champion Netsanet Gudeta.
Chepngetich’s time was just 10 seconds outside the event record of 1:10:29 set by Susan Chepkemei in 2003 on an easier, point-to-point course.
Chepngetich, world No.1 in the marathon, immediately took control of the women’s race right from the gun, blazing through the first five kilometres well inside course record pace in 16:15 and opening a lead of more than 30 seconds.
The battle for second place quickly reduced to Bedatu Hirpa of Ethiopia and Helalia Johannes of Namibia.
They stayed together through 12 kilometres before Johannes gradually opened a gap that gave her a second-place finish in 1:12:16 with Hirpa crossing a minute later in 1:13:17.
In the men's category, Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia ran a superb race to bag the crown. Tola, the Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and world marathon silver medallist's time of 1:02:35 fell 15 seconds shy of the record but was still the second-fastest ever recorded on the current course.
2019 Boston Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono, came home second in 1:04:09—94 seconds behind Tola. Compatriot John Lotiang held on for third in 1:04:45.
