Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei lowers course record as she defends Barcelona Half Marathon title

Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei broke the course record as she defended her title at the eDreams Mitja Marato Barcelona by Brooks on Sunday.

Jepkosgei won the race in 64:13, lowering her course record by 18 seconds, to claim victory ahead of Kenyan compatriot Gladys Chepkurui, who timed 1.06.25, while Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Bimr Zerihun clocked 1.08.19 to complete the podium.

Her time moves her inside the top 10 on the all-time list, sitting seventh on the log, and it comes a week after an astonishing run at the national Cross-Country Championships in Eldoret last Saturday when she ran for 3km with one shoe.

The former world half marathon record holder managed to fend off her rivals in the competitive race, taking command from the halfway mark and never looked back.

It was a good day at the office for Kenyan runners as besides Jepkosgei and Chepkurui’s 1-2 in the women’s race, Geoffrey Kamworor and Samuel Mailu finished second and third in the men’s event, which was won by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo.

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Kiplimo set a new world half marathon record of 56:41, breaking Yomif Kejelcha’s mark by 49 seconds, as Kamworor and Mailu clocked 58:44 and 59:40 respectively.

It was the best preparations for Kawmoror, who will be running at the Rotterdam Marathon, while Kiplimo will make his full marathon debut in London, both races slated for April.