Airtel Delhi Half Marathon/INDIA 2014 – Reigning World Champions got beaten in Delhi half !!! By -/ Ram. Murali Krishnan /-

Ethiopian Guye Adola demolished a highly competitive men’s elite athlete field and also set a new Course Record to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday.
 
Adola stopped the clock at 59.06 minutes to lower by 6 seconds the course record of 59.12, set by countryman Atsedu Tsegay in 2013. He was followed home by Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor in 59.07 and Mosinet Geremew (59.11).
 
* Ethiopian Guye Adola pips reigning World Half-Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) to win the 10th edition of Airtel Delhi Half Marathon today (Sun, 23 Nov) in a new course record 59:06.  Adola's winning time took him to 3rd place in 2014 season's top lists for the above distance.  With today's performance Adola also emerged as the third fastest Ethiopian runner ever over that distance after Atsedu Tsegay (58:47 – 2012) and the most prolific Haile Gebrselassie (58:55 – 2006).
 
* Kamworor improved his world championship winning time from Copenhagen by a second to 59:07 in Delhi.  A familiar face on Delhi roads, the Kenyan replicated his runner-up positions here from 2011 and 2013 races.  Ethiopian Adola, who came from nowhere to a third place in the Worlds at Copenhagen, ran a well calculated race to topple the Kenyan's dream of taking the Delhi title this year.
 
* Kenyan Florence Kiplagat become the first runner to defend a women's crown in Delhi.  (Ethiopian Deriba Merga was the only other runner won two back to back titles 2008 and  2009 in the men's race)
 
* Kiplagat, a world cross-country champion in 2009 and half-marathon champion in 2010, came here with a World Leading 65:12 which she clocked in Barcelona this February.  However today's winning time of 70:04 was slower than her last year's 68:02.    
 
* The women's race too witnessed another reigning World champion got beaten as Gladys Cherono went down to teammate Kiplagat for the second consecutive time in Delhi.  Winner in Copenhagen with 67:29, Cherono could manage only 70:05 on her second place finish this morning. 

Flash Quotes—

elite men – winner – Guye Adola of Ethiopia
"The competition was hard, but I am very happy with my podium finish. It was bit cold in the early morning.   But I am happy with my timing, and more so because I broke the course record."
 
elite men – 2nd – Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya
"It was a very nice race. All of us were very competitive and strong.  The first 10k, our pace was slow, then towards the 15k mark we increased our pace and the last 5k was very fast. I am happy to win and be here on the podium today."
 
elite women – winner – Florence Kiplagat of Kenya
"It was a very nice and strong field today, very tight group. I knew that if I stuck to the group, I could win and that was my strategy for today. Coming into the race as defending champion, there was no pressure on me. I just had to believe in myself and I know I could win back the title."
 
elite women – 2nd – Gladys Cherono of Kenya
"It was a very strong field today. All of us stuck together as a group till the very end. The last 2k we began to push faster and it was only till the last 400m or so when we really went for the sprint. Our timing as a group was slow compared other races because we were all so strong, and no one really wanted to break out and go in front because of that."

RESULTS:

MEN:

1 Guye Adola (ETH) 59:06 (Course Record)
2 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 59:07
3 Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 59:11
4 Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 59:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 59:18
6 Stephen Kibet (KEN) 59:21
7 Abraham Charoben (KEN) 59:21
8 Jonathan Maiyo (KEN) 59:28
9 Kenneth Kipkemoi (KEN) 59:43
10 Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 1:00:17
 

WOMEN:

1 Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 1:10:04
2 Gladys Cherono (KEN) 1:10:05
3 Worknesh Degefa (ETH) 1:10:07
4 Belaynesh Olijira (ETH) 1:10:08
5 Cynthia Limo (KEN) 1:10:09
6 Lucy Kabuu (KEN) 1:10:10
7 Tatelech Bekele (ETH) 1:10:17
8 Beatrice Mutai (KEN) 1:10:26
9 Alice Kimutai (KEN) 1:13:46
10 Preeja Sreetharan (IND) 1:19:03.
 
-/ Ram. Murali Krishnan /-

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