BOGOTA INT’L HALF MARATHON, COLOMBIA – 26 JULY 2015

Kenya's Stanley Biwott dominated a quality field with an imperious solo performance writes Cathal Dennehy. Biwott wae overwhelming favourite after having run the a world-leading 59:20 performance in Den Haag back in March.

With the Colombian capital at an altitude of 2600m fast times were never likely but in the early stages it seemed as if he was targeting Geoffrey Mutai's course record of 1:02:20. At 10km (31:00) he led by 41 seconds but was well down on course record schedule.

In a bid to create a race within a race the elite women were set off seven minutes before the men, which was supposed to result in the winners converging on the finish but Biwott passed the leading women before reaching 11km and had an open road in front of him. By the finish in Simon Bolivar Park he was seconds ahead.

The women's race was proving a much more cagey affair, with no one willing to take the pace. Ethiopians Birhane Dibaba, Shure Demise, and Amane Gobena, along with Kenya's Sharon Cherop emerged as the lead group after passing 10km in a modest 37:11.

Mostly Demise forced the pace but could not shake off the others until Dibaba dropped back at 15km. Gobena then joined Demise at the front but left it to the last kilometre to open up a small but decisive gap on Demise.

MEN:
1  Stanley BIWOTT             KEN  1:03:15
2  Tadesse TOLA                   ETH  1:04:47
3  Kimutai KIPLIMO               KEN  1:05:14
4  Tsegaye MEKONNEN          ETH  1:05:58
5  Javier GUARIN                  COL  1:06:08
 
Women
1  Amane GOBENA              ETH  1:13:44
2  Shuru DEMISE                   ETH  1:13:47
3  Sharon CHEROP                 KEN  1:13:55
4  Guteni SHONE                   ETH  1:15:29
5  Janet CHEROBON-BAWCOM USA  1:16:10

AIMSworldrunning.org