FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
World Record Holder Zersenay Tadese Facing Strong Challenge in Prague
Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea can expect tough opposition from a Kenyan
contingent as well a rival closer to home when he stands on the start line
of the Hervis Prague Half Marathon on Saturday, April 6. Fresh from taking
the bronze medal at the World Cross-Country Championships on Sunday,
Teklemariam Medhin's confidence for his debut at the distance should be sky
high after an excellent performance in Poland. The impressive Kenyan entry
includes three men with sub 60 minute personal bests in addition to the
Eritrean world record holder Tadese. Of the Kenyan trio, the most prominent
one is Philemon Limo, who won the Hervis Prague Half Marathon with a course
record of 59:30 two years ago and this remains his personal best. The
women's race will have half a dozen runners involved with personal bests of
sub 70 minutes. Ethiopia's Worknesh Degefa is the fastest athlete entered
with a best of 67:49. The Hervis Prague Half Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label
Race.
While Zersenay Tadese is expected to go for Prague's world-class course
record of 58:47 minutes, set last year by Atsedu Tsegay (Ethiopia) he will
also have to keep an eye on the opposition and not just the clock. Compared
to Tadese's world record of 58:23, Philemon Limo's PB should leave the
latter trailing. But there is no one among the leading contenders who knows
the roads of the Czech capital so well. It will be the third time in a row
that the 27 year-old Kenyan has competed in the Hervis Prague Half
Marathon. In 2012 he was third with 60:03 minutes. He's been a familiar
face on the Prague running scene, winning the Mattoni 10 k i in 2011
(27:34) and was third when running his marathon debut in the capital in
2012 (2:09:25).
But the athlete entered with the second fastest PB behind Zersenay Tadese
is not Limo but another Kenyan: Pius Kirop ran 59:25 when placing fourth in
the Berlin half marathon a year ago. He produced another fine performance
in the half marathon later that year, finishing fourth in the World
Championships. Kirop was only ten seconds away from the bronze medal
position in a race dominated by, guess who?: Zersenay Tadese. While Daniel
Chebii (59:49) is the third Kenyan with a prestigious PB of sub one hour,
Henry Kiplagat is only a fraction outside and he did it on this very
course. The Kenyan clocked 60:01 in Prague a year ago for second place.
Time and again, debutants have caused upsets in some of the world's premier
running events. One who will run the 21.0975 k distance for the first time
and who has the recent form to make a big impact on 6th April is
Teklemariam Medhin. Zersenay Tadese's fellow countryman produced a superb
performance in the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz last
Sunday when he took the bronze medal. The 23 year-old was in the in the
leading group of four runners in the final lap and the only ones to beat
him were the winner Japhet Korir (Kenya) and the defending champion Imane
Merga (Ethiopia). This quality of performance suggesets an impressive debut
is on the cards. Teklemariam Medhin has done very well on the track as
well. In the London Olympic 10,000 m final he was seventh last year.
The women's field of the Hervis Prague Half Marathon has every chance of
producing close contests and fast times with good strength in depth. The 23
year-old Worknesh Degefa is the fastest in the field with a personal best
of 67:49. The Ethiopian has shown good cross country form earlier this
year, winning the San Giorgio race in Italy.
Worknesh Degefa will be up against an experienced half marathon runner who
returns to Prague on 6th April: Gladys Cherono. The 29 year-old was third a
year ago, improving her best to 68:18. The Kenyan then confirmed her fine
form in the summer of 2012, when she won the long distance double at the
African Championships (5,000 and 10,000 m).
Waganesh Mekasha has recently shown very promising form, highlighted by the
Ethiopian winning the Marrakech half marathon in January with a personal
best of 68:48. While Agnes Mutune (Kenya/69:04) and Tadelech Bekele
(Ethiopia/69:31) will also be in with a chance, a prominent Kenyan runner
starts a comeback in Prague: Isabella Ochichi has not been competitively
active for some time but at the age of 33 the 5,000 m silver medallist from
the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 could still do very well. It remains to be
seen whether she can roll back the years to put her best for the distance
of 68:38, set in 2001, under pressure.
More information about the Hervis Half Marathon Prague is available online
at: www.praguemarathon.com
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