Flashback 2016: Kamworor, Jepchirchir rule the world

The University of Cardiff hosted the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon championships on a cold March 26 morning in Wales where Kenyans once again proved their distance running mastery by returning home with both men and women titles.

The men’s race was billed as a re-match between British distance running icon, Mo Farah and Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor- the World Half defending champion he beat to gold in the epic 10000m race at the Beijing World Championships in 2015.

However, it was little-known Peres Jepchirchir who truly stunned in the corresponding women’s race when she floored an imposing field to be crowned the champion in another Kenyan clean medal sweep.

When Jepchirchir added circles of gold colour to her hair ahead of the World Half it became something of an unintentional good-luck charm as it represented the hue of the medal she would win while incidentally, the seven circles reflected the number of medals Kenya earned in Cardiff.

But at the post-race press conference, the 22-year-old laughed off the suggestion that any serious planning went into her hairstyle speaking to the IAAF.

“We discussed running together as a team. The teamwork helped me. It was really windy, especially when we ran over the water (around Cardiff Bay). After 20km I could see that she [Limo] wasn’t moving away, so I was confident in my finish.

“It feels great to be a world champion. I’m very happy. It’s the biggest day of my life,” she said at the time.

In a race that was decided only on the final straight, Jepchirchir added her name to the list of previous Kenyan winners of the title in 67:31, joining the likes of Tegla Loroupe, Mary Keitany, Florence Kiplagat and Gladys Cherono.

Compatriots Cynthia Jerotich Limo (67:34) and Mary Wacera Ngugi (67:54) followed Jepchirchir home to seal the podium sweep.

Prior to Cardiff, the biggest race Jepchirchir had contested was one in which she did not finish. She was one of the pace makers at the 2015 London Marathon and led the field to 25km before Ethiopia’s Tigist Tufa went on to win.

Since then, Jepchirchir who does not plan to step up to the full marathon in the near future went on to enjoying a blazing season at the distance, winning her next three races in China, Czech Republic and Valencia before finishing fifth in the lucrative Airtel Delhi Half on November 20 having come to Wales on the back of smashing her lifetime best in the prestigious Ras-Al-Khaimah race in the UAE where she clocked 66:39 for fourth.

-Kamworor smashes Farah-

While Farah was untouchable in Beijing and indeed at the summer Olympics in Rio where he held on to the 5000m/10000m titles, it appears the only way Kenyans he led to the altar can beat him is to take him on tarmac besides stretching the distance.
Kamworor and compatriot Bedan Karoki who finished fourth in Beijing-played an audacious game of catch-me-if-you-can in Cardiff to achieve something which had not been done in five years; beating Farah at a major championship.

Farah had not lost a major race over 10,000m since the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu and had won seven successive world and Olympic finals since then but came unstuck as Kamworor (59:10) held on to the title he first won in Denmark in 2014.

And just like the 2015 IAAF World Cross in Guiyang, China, Karoki (59:36) followed him home for the silver as Farah (59:59) settled for the third medal as the podium finishers broke the hour barrier.

“I think Geoffrey is capable of breaking the (half marathon) world record, for sure. If he could run this pace in these conditions, he’s definitely capable of running a much faster time.

“I think the course was fast, and I’m sure Geoffrey will say the same thing, it’s quite a fast course even though there’s a little bit of uphill. If the conditions were clear, he would have been closer to the world record,” Farah graciously accepted post-race in an interview with the IAAF.

“For today, it’s about the World Half Marathon Championships. But from tomorrow, it’s about the Olympics and preparation for the 10,000m,” the two-time World Half and World Cross titleholder said.

It was not to be as injury forced him out of the Kenyan Trials for Rio and after he and Karoki were given wildcards for Brazil, failed to command the heights as Farah once again bagged the distance double.

-Material from IAAF used to compile this report