Philemon Kiplimo/ HANDOUT
The 2022 Prague Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo will be out to defend his Bogota Half Marathon title this Sunday (July 26) as he spearheads a formidable Kenyan assault on the Colombian capital.
Kiplimo stamped his authority at last year's race with a commanding performance, slicing through the tape in 1:02:55 to lift the title.
He finished comfortably ahead of Eritrea's Samson Amare, who clocked 1:03:40, while compatriot Benson Kipruto completed the podium in 1:03:41.
The 27-year-old distance specialist will be eager to extend his impressive run of form this season after opening his campaign with a podium finish in Italy.
On May 3, Kiplimo toed the line at the Stramilano Half Marathon in Milan, where he produced a strong run to finish second in 1:00:41.
Compatriot Amon Kiptoo claimed top honours in 1:00:28, while Asbel Rutto completed the podium in 1:02:16.
Kiplimo also heads into the Bogota showdown boasting an impressive resume over the 21km distance, highlighted by victory at the 2021 Manama Half Marathon in 1:00:01 and the 2022 Prague Half Marathon title. He also finished runner-up at the 2020 Prague Half Marathon in a personal best of 59:56.
Joining him on the streets of Colombia is Charles Matata, who has been in scintillating form this season.
Matata launched his campaign on April 19 with a runner-up finish at the Istanbul Half Marathon, clocking 1:00:01 to finish behind his brother Alex Matata, who was also timed at 1:00:01.
He followed that up with his first victory of the season at the Riga Half Marathon on May 17, producing a dominant run to win in 59:15 ahead of compatriots James Kipkogei (59:50) and Benson Tunyo (1:00:29).
Matata will also be chasing redemption after narrowly missing out on the podium in Bogota last year, where he finished fourth in 1:06:12.
Also in the Kenyan contingent is Gideon Kiprop, who will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing DNF at the Prague Marathon on May 3.
Before that setback however, Kiprop had enjoyed a winning outing at the Madrid Half Marathon, where he stormed to victory in 1:01:47.
Adding further depth to the Kenyan challenge is Erick Sang, who will be desperate to break into the podium places after finishing sixth in his only race of the season so far, the Rotterdam Marathon, where he clocked 2:05:34.
Meanwhile, the women's race will see Gladys Kwamboka lead Kenya's charge as she bids to reclaim the Bogota Half Marathon crown.
Kwamboka last stood atop the podium in 2024 after producing a commanding run to win in 1:14:00, ahead of Daisy Kimeli (1:14:29) and Colombia's Leidy Lozano (1:15:42).
The 30-year-old will be joined by reigning Cali Marathon champion Stacy Ndiwa.
Adding even more Kenyan firepower to the women's field is Gladys Cherop, who will be chasing a second successive half marathon victory after triumphing at the Mexico City Half Marathon on July 12 in a winning time of 1:12:19.
