Undisputed Star Vivian Cheruiyot Adds Star Dust To Lisbon Half Field

16th March 2019 - by IAAF

Olympic 5000m women's champion and London Marathon winner leads Kenyan charge at IAAF Gold Label Race

ivian Cheruiyot of Kenya celebrates after winning the women's race during the Virgin Money London Marathon at United Kingdom on April 22, 2018 in London, England.PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

SUMMARY

Losing the men's world record to Valencia last year was impetus for organisers to this year attract a men's field that includes 21 runners with personal bests of under 1:01 and ten in the women's field who have dipped under 1:10
Behind Kiptanui, the solid Kenyan contingent includes Micah Kogo (marathon world rank: 637), the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist over 10,000m who's clocked 59:07; Simon Cheprot (road running world rank: 44) who has a 59:20 lifetime best
In the women's field, Cheruyiot (marathon world rank: 3), the 2016 Olympic 5000m champion, is the undisputed star of the field

LISBON, Portugal- Olympic women 5000m and London Marathon champion, Vivian Cheruiyot and fellow Kenyan Erick Kiptanui lead strong field's for Sunday's EDP Lisbon Half, an IAAF Gold Label road race.

Losing the men's world record to Valencia last year was impetus for organisers to this year attract a men's field that includes 21 runners with personal bests of under 1:01 and ten in the women's field who have dipped under 1:10.

Kiptanui (road running world rank: 9) made his debut over the distance in this race last year, winning in 1:00:05, and went on to improve to 58:42 in Berlin one month later.

"My goal is to do my best and win again," Kiptanui said. He added that he wasn't targeting Abraham Kiptum's 58:18 world record set in Barcelona last October.

Two other sub-59:00 runners are in the field: 2013 winner Bernard Kiprop Koech, who has clocked 58:41, and Solomon Kirwa Yego (marathon world rank: 93), who set his 58:44 best in the 2016 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon.

But there are more athletes in this race who can produce some surprises. Ethiopia comes armed with Mosinet Geremew (marathon world rank: 4), winner of the 2018 Dubai Half Marathon with a 59:11 lifetime best from 2014, and Betesfa Getahun (road running world rank: 35), who has a 1:00:26 personal best. He was third in the Barcelona Half Marathon last month.

Behind Kiptanui, the solid Kenyan contingent includes Micah Kogo (marathon world rank: 637), the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist over 10,000m who's clocked 59:07; Simon Cheprot (road running world rank: 44) who has a 59:20 lifetime best.

Others are Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo (road running world rank: 23), who has a 59:26 best; Nicholas Kosimbei, who clocked 1:00:21 at this race last year; late addition Edwin Soi (road running world rank: 305), the 2008 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist, who improved to 1:00:24 in Granollers, Spain, this year; and Japhet Korir (road running world rank: 80), who has run 1:00:08.

Undisputed star

"I'm in better shape this year," said Kosimbei, who was fourth here last year. "I hope to improve my place from last year, because in 2018 the weather was not so good to the runners."

Others to watch include Callum Hawkins (road running world rank: 147) of Great Britain, who'll be looking to improve on his 1:00:00 personal best and Abrar Osman (road running world rank: 57) of Eritrea, who's clocked 1:00:19.

In the women's field, Cheruyiot (marathon world rank: 3), the 2016 Olympic 5000m champion, is the undisputed star of the field.

The 35-year-old, who also won three world titles on the track and the 2017 London Marathon, was second in this race last year clocking 1:09:44. She clocked 1:07:43 at last year's Great North Run to win that event for the second time.

"I’ve trained well, I intend to test myself on Sunday before the London Marathon," Cheruiyot said. So I hope to run well and improve my personal best, so I expect to get the podium. I hope it will be the first place."

She'll face a formidable field however, led by Ethiopia's Gelete Burka (road running world rank: 16), who has a solid 1:06:11 lifetime best set last year. Her 20-year-old compatriot Zeineba Yimer (road running world rank: 13) has gone even faster, clocking 1:05:46 when finishing third at this year's Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon.

Others to watch include Kenyan Linet Masai (marathon world rank: 93), who was third here in 2016 in 1:09:33 and Kenyan Veronica Nyaruai (road running world rank: 116), who has a lifetime best of 1:07:58.

Masai is also using the race as a tune-up prior to next month's London Marathon. "I’m in good shape and I intend to do my best next Sunday, a test also before my next marathon in London."

Notable debutantes include 21-year-old Kenyan Sandra Tuei (road running world rank: 41), a former U18 and U20 standout, and Swede Meraf Bahta (road running world rank: 44; 10,000m: 10), who clocked a 31:09 10km national record on 10 February.

-Report by António Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF