Ebenyo primed for world record attempt at Valencia Half Marathon
Kenya's Daniel Simiu Ebenyo competes in the men's 5,000m heats at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon on July 21, 2022.
Photo credit: AFP
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NMG Sport
What you need to know:
- Ebenyo will face a formidable field led by Burundian-born Spaniard Rodrigue Kwizera, the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 58:16.
- Also in the mix is Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele, the multiple Olympic champion and former world record holder over 5,000m and 10,000m.
Fresh from pacing at the Chicago Marathon, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo will lead a strong Kenyan contingent at the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain on Sunday morning.
Despite being only the sixth fastest in the star-studded field, all eyes will be on Ebenyo, who holds a personal best time of 59:04, set in Bahrain in 2022.
The Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist, who paced Amos Kipruto to victory in the Chicago Marathon on October 13, returns to Valencia, the world capital of fast half marathons, looking to dip under the 59-minute barrier.
He will face a formidable field led by Burundian-born Spaniard Rodrigue Kwizera, the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 58:16.
Ethiopians Jemal Yimer (58:33) and Tadese Worku (58:47) are the second and third fastest men in the field.
Also in the mix is 44-year-old Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele, the multiple Olympic champion and former world record holder over 5,000m and 10,000m, who comes into the race with a personal best of 1:00:22.
For Kenya, the fastest man on paper is Owen Kapkama with a personal best of 58:58.
Other notable Kenyans are Alex Matata (59:11), James Kipkosgei (59:31), Moses Cheruiyot (1:00:00) and debutant Victor Kipruto, who is stepping up from 10km where he has been dominant this season.
Kenya's Daniel Simiu Ebenyo celebrates after winning silver medal in men's 10,000m final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 20, 2023.
Photo credit: File | AFP
The men’s race starts at 9:30am Kenyan time. Organisers have indicated that the race will be paced at world record time.
The men’s half marathon world record is 56:51, set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 23.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 1:03:44. It is, in fact, the fifth-fastest time by a woman.
Yehualaw held the world record for two months after breaking it in Larne, Ireland on August 29, 2021 before her compatriot lowered the record to 1:02:52 on October 24 in Valencia.
The fastest Kenyan in the field is Daisilah Jerono, who comes in fourth fastest with 1:05:21. Jerono finished fourth at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen last month in 1:06:13 and is in great form.
The field is packed with Kenyans including Veronica Loleo (1:05:46), the World Half silver medallist from Copenhagen, Sheila Chepkirui (1:06:01), who is the 2023 Berlin Marathon runner-up and New York Marathon champion, Miriam Chebet (1:06:07), Jesca Chelangat (1:06:13), Caroline Gitonga (1:06:16), her twin sister Purity Gitonga (1:06:50), Mercy Chebwogen (1:06:33), Gladys Kwamboka (1:06:45), Diana Wanza (1:07:31) and Faith Cherono, who will be making her half marathon debut.
Valencia is known for producing fast half marathon times. The current women’s world record was set in Valencia.
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