Peres Jepchirchir leads Kenya one-two to win Great North Run half marathon

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ATHLETICS Peres Jepchirchir leads Kenya one-two to win Great North Run half marathon

Festus Chuma 18:14 - 10.09.2023

Kenya took center stage at the Great North Run half marathon, with Peres Jepchirchir clinching the women's title in a compelling fashion.

Kenya shone at the Great North Run half marathon on Sunday, with Peres Jepchirchir winning the women's title.

As the world watched, she clocked an impressive 1:06:45, overcoming challenging temperatures and bettering her performance from 2022.

The initial pace of the race was set at a fiery tempo, with Jepchirchir and her fellow New York Marathon winner, Sharon Lokedi, taking an early lead. 

Lokedi proved to be Jepchirchir's sole competition in the early stages, but only up to the fourth mile. 

Jepchirchir then took charge, running at an even faster pace than she did in the previous year's more conducive conditions.

Trailing behind the dynamic Kenyan duo of Jepchirchir and Lokedi, who secured a second-place finish in 1:07:43, was Britain's Charlotte Purdue. 

Purdue clinched third place, a repeat of her 2021 performance, providing her with a great confidence booster ahead of her upcoming Berlin Marathon.

When speaking to the BBC after her stellar performance, Jepchirchir expressed her racing strategy.

 "I decided to run by myself." Both she and Lokedi are also gearing up for another marathon challenge as they prepare for the renowned New York City Marathon scheduled for 5 November.

Meanwhile, in the men's race, the Kenyans faced stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola. Tola, showcasing his long-distance prowess, clinched the men’s title with an astounding finish time of 59:58. 

The event also marked an end to the illustrious career of one of Britain's finest athletes, Mohamed Farah.

 With emotions running high, Farah wrapped up his final race with a commendable fourth place, finishing in 1:03:28. 

While he might have desired a spot on the podium, the world-renowned Olympic and world-medal winners proved to be formidable opponents.

Tola's win was especially significant as it served as redemption for him. Just two weeks prior, he had failed to retain his world marathon title. 

He led an impressive pack of seven athletes at the 5km mark, timing it at 14:11. 

From there, he showcased his dominance, especially during the uphill segment, which is the highest point of the course at five miles.

Leading results women

1 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 1:06:452  Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 1:07:433  Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 1:09:364  Sonia Samuels (GBR) 1:13:435 Jessa Hanson (USA) 1:14:126 Wakana Itsuki (JPN) 1:14:29

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