Kenyan speedsters had an outing to remember at the 2023 edition of the Barcelona Half Marathon.
This is after five of them registered new personal best times in the event which the ladies dominated from the start to finish.
2022 Jeddah Half Marathon champion Irene Kimais stunned a star-studded field that included the reigning 1,500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba to escape with the women’s title.
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Kimais reached the tape in a course record time of 1:04.37 which was also her new personal best.
Former world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei, who was the favourite going into the race, settled for a second-place finish.
The 2021 London marathon winner clocked 1:04.46 to finish ahead of compatriot Catherine Reline who timed 1:05.39. Both Jepkosgei and Reline also set new personal bests in the race.
In the men’s category, outsider Charles Langat had the last laugh, outpacing Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese.
Langat not only shelved the existing course record by 12 seconds but also improved his personal best by an enormous four minutes.
The one-time Luso Meia Maratona winner destroyed the field to cross the finishing line in 58.52 ahead of Legese who clocked 58.57.
Langat’s compatriot Solomon Yego also had a reason to smile in the streets of Barcelona. Yego completed the race in a personal best time of 58.29.
More than 21,000 runners graced this year’s edition which was held under conducive temperatures.