Tag Archives: Hillary Maiyo

Athletics

Patrick Kipng’eno crowned Nandi Mountain Run champion

Reigning World Mountain champion Patrick Kipng’eno added another title to his name as he conquered at the 2nd edition of Nandi Barngetuny Memorial Mountain Run held on Sunday (8) in Tinderet, Nandi County.

Kipngeno who plans to defend his world title ran away with the 12km senior men title when he cut the tape in a time of 56:21.51 and was followed by Josephat Kiprotich in 57:22.38 with Hillary Maiyo closing the first three podium finishes in 57:36.09.

After conquering the Nandi Mountain and terrains, he said that running in the mountain is not easy but needs determination.

“I almost lost the race after falling in one of the terrains but I managed to wake up and finished as a champion,” said Kipngeno.

He added that his next challenge will be to defend his Meru Mountain Running title. “This victory is good for me as I prepare to defend my Meru title,” said Kipngeno.

His closest competitor and the world mountain running silver medalist Philemon Kirongo Ombogo finished a distance 6th after falling at the 8km mark.

“I was leading between 1-8km but I fell along the way hence losing this title and missing the podium. But the miss has not stopped me from running well. I want to face another challenge in Meru,” said Kirongo.

Kipngeno pocketed Kshs 100,000.

LEADING RESULTS

12KM WOMEN

  1. Patrick Kipngeno         – 56:21.51
  2. Josephat Kiprotich      – 57:22.38
  3. Hillary Maiyo                -57:36.09
  4. Erick Kiptoo                 – 58:19.58
  5. Fredrick Domongele  – 58:56.80
Athletics

Josephat Kiprotich and Edith Chepchuma lift the AK Mountain running titles

Josephat Kiprotich and Edith Chepchuma were the winners of the2nd edition of the Athletics Kenya Mountain running championships that was held on Sunday (2) in Tinderet, Nandi County.

Kiprotich took the top honors in 10km senior men’s when he cut the tape in 47:47 and was followed closely by Frederick Domongole who came home in second in 47:51 with Hillary Maiyo closing the first three podium finishes in 47:71.

In 10km senior women category, Jepchumba ran away with the title in one of the most difficult course she has ever faced as she cut the tape 61.06 ahead of Zenah Jeptoo who crossed the in second in 61:12 and Monica Jeruto taking the third spot in 62.02.

Amos Kipkurui won the 8km junior men in 28:06 followed by Nicholas Kiprop (28:30) and Bernard Kipchirchir (29:08) while Valentine Jebet was the 6km champion in 32:12 followed by Eileen Chepkoech (32:27) and Faith Chepchirchir (35:49).

Athletics

Maiyo targets third Minsk Half Marathon title

Kenya’s Hillary Maiyo will return to defend his title defend his title at the 5th edition of the Minsk Half Marathon that will be held on Sunday (9) Minsk, Belarus.

The 24 year-old set the course record of 1:03.00 on his first appearance in Minsk and came close to it last year with 1:03.18. But he may need to run faster than he ever has done before if he is to win a third successive title and hold on to his course record.

Ethiopia’s Abebe Negewo Degefa also comes to this race with a personal best of 1:00.40 that he got at the Usti Nad Labem in 2013.this year he has a season best of 1:02.39, he got when he finished second in Suwon.

Another Kenyan on the startlist is Joel Mwangi Maina an also an accomplished half marathon runner. He finished fourth in Milan earlier this year in 1:01.33, just 17 seconds shy of the PB he set back in 2014.

Bernard Korir has also shown promising form ahead of this weekend’s race. The Kenyan clocked 1:02.07 in Doha earlier this year to miss out on his PB by just eight seconds.

With a best of 1:00:29, Ethiopia’s Feyera Gemeda owns the fastest PB of the field, but he has raced sparingly in recent years and his last half marathon was a 1:03:51 clocking in 2016.

Other title contenders include Morocco’s Tahir Belkorchi, Ukrainian duo Mykola Yukhymchuk and Dmytro Lashyn..

LEADING TIME

MEN

  1. Feyera Gemeda               (ETH) 1:00.29
  2. Abebe Negewo Degefa  (ETH) 1:00.40
  3. Joel Maina Mwangi        (KEN) 1:01.16
  4. Hillary Kiptum Maiyo    (KEN) 1:01.41
  5. Bernard Korir                   (KEN) 1:01.59
  6. Tahir Belkorchi               (MAR) 1:02.22
  7. Mykola Yukhymchuk      (UKR) 1:02.28
  8. Dmytro Lashyn                (UKR) 1:02.52
Athletics

Maiyo to defend his title at Gdynia Half Marathon

Defending ONICO Gdynia Half Marathon champion Hillary Maiyo and last year’s runner-up Christine Oigo will start as favourites at the third edition of the IAAF Bronze Label road race on Sunday (18).

This year’s edition took on new significance after Gdynia was chosen to host the 2020 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. A field of nearly 7000 runners will be headed by a strong international elite group, featuring both familiar and new names.

The race may not have a long history, but Maiyo has already become a repeat winner, taking victories in both 2016 and 2017, the former in a course record of 1:02:41. In recent years, the Kenyan has raced prolifically in Poland, with more than a dozen half marathon victories, including six in 2017 alone (with two of them coming on consecutive days).

His fastest race, however, came in Austria with 1:01:05 for third place last year in Krems. That time also makes him the fastest on paper among the field in Gdynia.

Ben Somikwo is the second fastest of the entrants. The Ugandan set his 1:01:12 personal best when he finished second in Reims in 2015. Since then, he bettered 1:02 in both 2016 and 2017.

Zelalem Mengistu, like Maiyo, has been a regular feature on the Polish road-running circuit and is also a repeat visitor to Gdynia, having finished in runner-up position last year. That, along with a best of 1:02:37, makes the Ethiopian another one of the strong contenders for top positions.

Poland’s Marcin Chabowski will be hoping to keep pace with the leading contenders. The 2005 European U20 steeplechase champion has in recent years been Poland’s top half marathon specialist. While his best of 1:02:26 dates back to 2011, he has been successful over the distance more recently with a fourth-place finish at the 2016 European Championships and wins in Poznan and Warsaw last year.

Other possible contenders in the race include Kenya’s Abel Rop, whose best of 1:02:43 was set in Tirana last year, and Spain’s El Hassan Oubaddi, who ran 1:02:51 to finish second in Seville this January.

OIGO HOPING FOR THIRD TIME LUCKY

Kenya’s Christine Oigo, like her compatriot Maiyo, has a history in Gdynia, with second places in both 2016 and 2017, and will be hoping to go one better on this occasion. The hopes are well founded; since last year’s race, she has won four half marathons and improved her personal best twice, to 1:11:50 in Warsaw, where she finished third, and then 1:11:32 in taking victory in Podgorica.

The strongest challenge to her is likely to come from two other runners. Her compatriot Ruth Matebo set a PB of 1:13:26 for second place in Zagreb last year, but that may be due for revision after she set a big personal best of 2:32:15 at this year’s Marrakech Marathon.

Ethiopia’s Meseret Merine, with a best of 1:12:52 from Pune in 2015, is the other strong challenger.

Viktoriya Khapilina, fourth in last year’s race, will also be back to try to improve on her position, although the Ukrainian’s fastest time of 1:14:22 in Bila Tserkva last year puts her some way behind the three other main contenders in the race.

Poland’s best hopes rest with 2013 world 5000m finalist Dominika Nowakowska, who has a half marathon best of 1:12:37 set in Warsaw in 2015.