22 AUGUST 2010: HALF MARATHON OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

The 14th edition was the first to be won by a Kenyan couple: Joshua Kemei and Eunice Kirwa have lived together for five years and have a three-year-old son, Kipchumba. Race conditions were humid (91%) but relatively cool (20°C). Kemei forced the pace from the start and opened up a big lead.

Franck Caldeira, twice champion in the Rio Half, was still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in a car crash. "This second place is a real victory" he said. "It is a proof of my recovery. I came from behind and finished only 25m down". Damião Ancelmo de Souza, third, followed Caldeira's pace. "We were right behind the Kenyans, and did not give up: from 12km, we forced the pace."

The women's race had six-strong lead group during the first half, often led by the Brazilian Marily dos Santos. She dropped to sixth in the last couple of kilometres as the Kenyan and Ethiopian women pushed on. In the final straight she re-took one of them to finish fifth, two places lower than last year. Kirwa who had saved energy for the finish, showed absolute superiority.

Winner of the Vitoria 10 miles a week earlier Kirwa said that missing her son is the hardest part of being in Brazil, where she intends to stay until 5 November.

MEN:
1  Joshua K KEMEI                          KEN    1:04:03
2  Franck C DE ALMEIDA             BRA  1:04:14
3  Damiao A DE SOUZA              BRA  1:04:21
4  Titus K KIBII                         KEN  1:04:26
5  Minda H NAMOMISA                      1:05:15
6  Giomar P DA SILVA                 BRA  1:05:30
7  Luis P DA SILVA ANTUNES        BRA  1:05:35
8  Francisco B DOS SANTOS         BRA  1:05:37
9  Valdir S DE OLIVEIRA              BRA  1:06:09
10 Giovani DOS SANTOS             BRA  1:06:12

WOMEN:
1  Eunice J KIRWA                         KEN  1:14:37
2  Shewarge A AMARE               ETH  1:14:54
3  Rumokol E CHEPKANIAN        KEN  1:15:06
4  Yeshanbel S ABNET              ETH  1:15:10
5  Marily DOS SANTOS              BRA  1:15:18
6  Nancy J KIPRON                   KEN  1:15:33
7  Edielza A DOS SANTOS GUIMARAES BRA  1:17:01 
8  Marizete M DOS SANTOS       BRA  1:17:53
9  Maria Z R BALDAIA              BRA  1:19:47
10 Elizabeth E DE SOUZA          BRA  1:20:48

AIMSworldrunning.org