Jepchrichir breaks world record for women-only half marathon

The 26-year-old set a time of 1 hour 05min 34sec on the 21.1KM in Prague, breaking the previous record of 1:06:11 set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia in 2018.

On a small field, nine, of which two were pacemakers, competed on the 16.5-lap circuit in Prague’s Letna Park, built on a plateau above steep embankments along the Vltava River in the capital of the Czech Republic.

Despite the pacemakers, Kenyan teammates Brenda Jepleting and Lilian Jepkorir Chebii, setting a strong pace in the first five kilometers, running 15 minutes and 20 seconds for the first five kilometers, Jepchirchir soon broke away within 20 minutes of race.

Jepchirchir, the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships gold medal winner in Cardiff, then reached 10km in a 30:22 split, running at a pace of 1:04 the entire distance, but her pace slowed by his solo effort.

However, he kept up a great effort to break the previous record.

“I was thinking about running maybe 1:04:50, but I’m very happy,” Jepchirchir said.

“The last five kilometers I was really tired.

“My plan was to run well because I was well prepared.”

Jepchirchir had previously held the world record for a half marathon in a mixed race at the RAK Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates in 2017 when he clocked 1:05:06, a record that was held in just under two months.

Now the world record for the mixed gender women’s half marathon is held by Ababel Yeshaneh from Ethiopia with a new best of 1:04:31 in February 2020, also set in the RAK Half Marathon.

Meanwhile, in the men’s race, 24-year-old Kibiwott Kandie from Kenya set a world-leading time of 58:38 to become the sixth fastest man of all time in the distance.