Habari za Wiki - 6 October, 2020
Brigid is Unstoppable as KingChoge is Dethroned
It was a story of two very different races at the London Marathon on Sunday.
The women were first up, and Brigid Kosgei was untouchable, she retained her title with a brilliant solo run in the second half to win in 2:18:58. She now has back to back London and Chicago titles.
In the initial stages of the marathon, Brigid ran shoulder to shoulder with world champion Ruth Chepngetich until after the 30km mark when Brigid broke away, and Ruth could not respond.
Chepngetich ended up finishing third after American Sarah Hall passed her with a blistering kick in sight of the finish line.
The men’s race was not at all what we expected. First Kenenisa Bekele withdrew just a day before the race, so the great Kipchoge Bekele matchup wasn’t to be. There was still a very talented field, which was apparent with a group of 8 running together through 30k.
That is a crowd, and rarely was Eliud taking the lead very unlike him as he generally likes to control the race. Kipchoge had a grimace on his face and when Shura Kitata put in a surge at around 35K, the rest responded but Eliud didn’t and slowly dropped off the back. The race boiled down to Shura Kitata and Vincent Kipchumba in a thrilling sprint finish, with Kitata outkicking Kipchumba by 1 second to win it 2:05:41. Eliud finished eighth in 2:06:49.
We all know that anything can happen on race day. But after going undefeated (and looking untouchable) in his last 9 marathons, it seemed that rule didn’t apply to Kipchoge. He noted in the post race interview that his ear was blocked up and causing him discomfort. He’ll be back, but Kitata and Kipchumba showed there is a new generation ready push marathoning to new heights.
Virtual London is a Hit
The other odd bit of the race was the lack of a crowd. One of the joys of marathon running is that everyone can take part. Us amatures can compete on the same course with the world’s best.
The crowd was virtual this time, as 43,000 people from 109 countries ran the London marathon virtually. We trust that many of you, members of the Enda Community, were part of this demonstration of the indomitable spirit of runners.
Kip Keino Classic Was A Delight!
Kenya's Nicholas Kimeli wins the 5,000m race ahead of Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi at the Kip Keino Classic at Nyayo National Stadium on 3 October 2020. Credit: Kip Keino Classic
Athletics came home to Kenya at the Kip Keino Classic this past Saturday. Athletes travelled from far and wide – South Africa, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, UK, Australia, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Belarus, Belgium, Sweden and more.
The action on track and field was excellent. Some of the top contests were:
Men’s 5000m was a thrilling contest between Kenyan youngster Nicholas Kimeli and Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi but Kimeli had a powerful finish and won in 13:08.32, the fastest time on Kenyan soil and super impressive at an elevation of 1800m (5900ft).
Women’s 5000m was won by Hellen Obiri, who went shoulder to shoulder with Agnes Tirop until after the bell and surged for a victory in 15:06.36, another close finish.
Men’s 1500m saw Timothy Cheruiyot shake off the hamstring injury from Doha to win in 3:34.31.
In women’s and men’s 3000m steeplechase, Beatrice Chepkoech and Abraham Kibiwott won the 3000m steeplechase in 9:29.05 and 8:17.60 respectively.
Men’s 800m was the Ferguson Rotich show as he continued his hot streak, winning in 1:44.78.
Valencia Marathon and Half Are Gonna Be Fast
Mark your calendar for 6 December. The Valencia Marathon and Half Marathon promises to be quite the set of races.
The women’s marathon will feature 2019 New York marathon winner Joyciline Jepkosgei, Joan Chelimo, debutante Fancy Chemutai, and Peres Jepchichir (the current half marathon - only women - world record holder).
On the men’s side, Chicago Marathon winner Lawrence Cherono and World marathon bronze medalist Amos Kipruto will be in the mix.
The men’s half-marathon is likely to be the main event though. 10km world record holder Rhonex Kipruto and Ugandan youngster Jacob Kiplimo will make their half marathon debuts alongside a stack of runners who have run the half in under 60 minutes. They include Kenyans Stephen Kiprop (58:42), Bedan Karoki (58:42), Bernard Ngeno (59:07), Alexander Mutiso (59:09), Philemon Kiplimo (59:28), Geoffrey Koech (59:36), Alfred Barkach (59:46) and Kelvin Kiptum (59:53).
On the women’s side, 10k road racer Sheila Chepkirui will compete in the women’s half.
Youngster Kimeli to ace for Cheptegei
Tomorrow,Wednesday 7 October, Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei will be going after Kenenisa Bekele’s 15 year old 10,000m world record. Joshua broke Bekele’s 5000m world record in August, and is expecting to run faster than Bekele’s 26:17.53.
You can’t run numbers like that without incredible pace setters. Kenyan youngster 22 year old Nicholas Kimeli will be among the lead pacers and the only Kenyan involved in the world record. Kimeli won the 5000m at Kip Keino Classic (see above) has a world leading time in 10,000m of 26:58.97. . You can watch history unfold on NN Running YouTube channel from 22:30 EAT / 21.30 CEST / 15:30 EDT.
Non-Kenyan news
Strava Getting Cooler Maps
In our recent community survey, we found that about half of you use Strava to track your running and other fitness activities. And right now, there are nearly 500 of you in the Enda Running Club on Strava.
With the new #StatMaps feature, you’ll be able to see a visualisation of your run data, as the line on the map can change color based on pace, elevation, heart rate, heat, or other data. To activate it, in your activity description add the hashtag of the type of map you’d like to display.
New Lapatet colorways coming next week!
In the coming months, we’ll release 8 new colorways based on 4 different themes.
First up will be Bendera Black, inspired by the black color of the Kenyan flag, followed by Batian Blue & Apricot inspired by the peak of the highest mountain in Kenya when it catches the sunrise.
They’re not just different colors though, we’ve also reduced the weight of the upper by 15% and added 2mm more cushioning underfoot.
To make room for these new colorways, the last of the original Lapatets are now on sale. We’re down to the last few pairs, so make sure to get them now before they are gone.
From the Enda Community
What a name!
Enda Brady was just one of the 43,000 London Marathon virtual runners. Tweeting before the race:
"Wish me luck for @LondonMarathon tomorrow! If I get within an hour of @EliudKipchoge I’ll be happy @EndaSportswear 🥇"
