ATAF Editors
Kenyan reigning World cross-country champion, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, won the men’s race at the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales on Saturday March 26, 2016.
Geoffrey Kamworor weathered a fall at the start and then staged a brilliant recovery in heavy rains to retain his world half marathon title in 59:10, two seconds slower than he was in Copenhagen in 2014.
The Kenyan thus became the first runner to win back-to-back titles since Zersenay Tadese in 2009, but missing the championship record of 58:59 held by the Eritrean.
Kamworor’s compatriot Bedan Karoki clocked 59:36 to take the silver medal while Briton Mohammed Farah managed to edge Ethiopian Abayneh Ayele for bronze, with both men timed at 59:59.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola finished in fifth place in a personal best time of 1:00.06 while Simon Cheprot of Kenya clocked 1:00:12 in sixth.
“It was really tough after that fall to catch up but I fought hard,” said Kamworor about his fall at the start of the race. “I am very happy to win again. It puts me in a good place for the 10,000m in Rio.”
Men’s team medallists during the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships on March 26, 2016 in Cardiff, Wales (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images for IAAF)
Kenya regained the men’s team title ahead of the Ethiopia, while defending champions Eritrea – weakened by the absence of star names such as Zersenay Tadese, Samuel Tsegay and Ghirmay Ghebreslassie – settled for bronze.
Results
