Tadese smashes world half-marathon record in Lisbon

By Steven Mills

Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese romped to victory at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon in a world record of 58:23

ZERSENAY TADESE continued to establish his dominance on the road-racing circuit as the 28-year-old smashed Sammy Wanjiru’s world half-marathon record of 58:33 at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon.

The four-time world half-marathon champion blasted to victory in a new world record of 58:23 which corresponds to a ten-second revision on Wanjiru’s three-year-old world record and as well as this feat, Tadese also lowered Haile Gebrselassie’s world 20km record en route to victory.

The Eritrean passed through the 20km point in 55:21, which was 27 seconds faster than Gebrselassie’s world record.

Tadese will now finalise his preparations for next month’s Virgin London Marathon and despite failing to complete the distance on his debut last year, Tadese was not perturbed by this as the world 10,000m silver medallist said he wants to attack the world record.

Sammy Kitwara from Kenya took second in 59:47 while world marathon silver medallist Emmanuel Mutai completed the podium in third in 60:03.

Olympic silver medallist Jaouad Gharib from Morocco placed sixth in 60:33.

In the women’s race, Peninah Arusei took a comprehensive victory. The Kenyan clocked 68:38 to easily defeat Ethiopia’s Magarsa Tafa, who finished more than two minutes behind in 70:46.

Former Olympic and world 10,000m champion Fernanda Ribeiro from Portugal took third in 72:17 at the age of 40, while Olympic marathon champion Constantina Dita placed a sub-par ninth in 74:39.

In the Seoul Marathon, Kenya’s Sylvester Teimet lowered his PB from 2:09:53 to 2:06:49 for victory, defeating Frankfurt Marathon winner Gilbert Kirwa (2:06:59) and former world half-marathon champion Paul Kirui (2:07:35).

In the women’s race, Amane Gobena from Ethiopia won her second marathon of the year after victory in Osaka in January. The 27-year-old set a lifetime best of 2:24:13 to defeat former London Marathon champion Zhou Chunxiu (2:25:01) and Kenya’s Caroline Kilel (2:26:58).

Some 50 years after Abebe Bikila won Olympic gold in Rome, quite fittingly there was an Ethiopian double at the Rome Marathon. Siraj Gema won the men’s race in 2:08:39 while Firehiwot Dado took the women’s title in 2:25:28.