Brigid Kosgei obliterates strong field to claim Lisbon Half Marathon victory

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ATHLETICS Brigid Kosgei obliterates strong field to claim Lisbon Half Marathon victory

Joel Omotto 16:40 - 17.03.2024

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei was in a class of her own as she dominated the Lisbon Half Marathon before winning with a big margin on Sunday.

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei stayed true to her promise of winning the Lisbon Half Marathon as she obliterated the field to claim victory on Sunday.

Kosgei, who was using the race to tune up for the London Marathon on April 21, missed the course record but was in a class of her own as she clocked 1:05:51 for the win, over three minutes ahead of her closest challenger.

The former world marathon record holder stormed into the lead past the halfway mark and did not look back as her rivals struggled with her pace.

Kosgei, who had hopes of lowering her half marathon personal best of 1:04:49, did not achieve that dream but she was still too good for the rest of the field with Ethiopian Bosena Mulatie (1:09:00) coming home in second place ahead of her compatriot Tigist Mengistu who managed 1:09:14 for third place. Kenya’s Betty Chepkemoi, who timed 1:09:35, finished in fourth place.

There was no such luck in the men’s race, however, as Ethiopian Dinkalem Ayele claimed victory ahead of Kenya’s Dominic Chemut. Ayele clocked 1:00:36, four seconds faster than Chemut’s 1:00:40.

Kosgei was no stranger to the Portuguese capital having won the 2016 Lisbon Marathon and she will now head to London in confident mood.

The 30-year-old, who won in London in 2019 and 2020, will return to the English capital for a fifth time, seeking to right the wrongs of 2021 when she finished fourth.

On the evidence of her dominant display in Lisbon on Sunday, she looks fit and ready, setting up a mouth-watering battle in April.

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