OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 10.00am.
KENYAN athletes dominated at the World Half Marathon Championships in Zurich on Sunday, with defending champion Tegla Loroupe and Paul Koech claiming the men’s and women’s titles, giving the nation a sweep of gold for the second year in a row.
Loroupe covered the 21,1km course in 1:08:29 to become the first runner to successfully defend a title in the seven-year history of the event.
Koech broke away midway through the men’s race, overcoming a tough field to finish in 1:00:01, a convincing 23 seconds ahead of his closest rival, South Africa’s Hendrick Ramaala.
1994 champion Khalid Skah of Morocco ran in third with a time identical to that of Ramaala’s — 1:00:24.
The 1994 women’s champion, Elana Meyer of South Africa, finished second in the women’s race, with Lidia Simon of Romania taking bronze.