Korir, Lagat lead Team USA for Valencia World Half

Kenyan-born Americans Leonard Korir and Bernard Lagat will lead the US team at the IAAF/Trinidad Alfonso World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018 on March 24.

Earlier this month, Korir successfully defended his national title at the USATF Cross Country Championships. At the end of last year he became the second-fastest US man ever for the half marathon when clocking 59:52 in Delhi.

Two-time world champion Lagat, who has won numerous global medals on the track both indoors and outdoors, recorded a PB of 1:02:00 at the recent Houston Half Marathon to secure his place on the team for Valencia. This will be the first time the 43-year-old has represented the USA on the roads.

The women’s team is led by Jordan Hasay and Sara Hall.

Hasay moved up in distance last year and immediately made an impact. The 26-year-old clocked PBs of 1:07:55 at the Prague Half Marathon and 2:20:57 at the Chicago Marathon.

Hall, who finished 15th at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships, improved her PB to 1:09:37 in September and then clocked a marathon PB of 2:27:21 in Frankfurt in October before winning the US marathon title in Sacramento in December.

US TEAM FOR VALENCIA

Men: Samuel Chelanga, Diego Estrada, Leonard Korir, Bernard Lagat, Jared Ward

Women: Sara Hall, Jordan Hasay, Natosha Rogers, Elaina Tabb, Becky Wade