http://www.sportskeeda.com/running/current-half-marathon-world-record-holders-zersenay-tadese-florence-kiplagat-break-own-record
World record holders Zersenay Tadese and Florence Kiplagat look to
best own records at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon
Half Marathon world record holders Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) Moses
Kipsiro (Uganda) along with defending champion Florence
Kiplagat(Kenya) and Meseret Hailu(Ethiopia) interacted with media at
Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) 2015 Media Centre in New Delhi on
Thursday.
Zersenay, one of the senior and most experienced athletes is ready to
face the challenge from other competitors vying for the title. The
first Eritrean to win an Olympic medal, he has to his credit six world
titles - four half marathon wins and one 20km and one cross country in
different events.
Currently training hard for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Tadese has
completed half marathons in under 60 minutes ten times and is a tough
contender. Talking on the sidelines of ADHM 2015, Zersenay Tadse said
“I am happy to be in good shape for the ADHM 2015 and have been
training well for the event. While my forte is 10k, I look forward to
giving it my best at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2015”.
Another strong contender in the men’s category is Moses
Kipsiro(Uganda). He fondly remembers his two gold medals at the
Commonwealth Games, Delhi(2010) in the 5000m and 10000m category.
He also recently won gold in the 10000m category in Glasgow last year.
He has a bronze medal from the 2007 WC 5000m and a silver and bronze
medal from WC cross country in 2009 and 2010. Earlier this year, he
won the first half marathon in Great Scottish Run easily by clocking
62:18.
Taking pride about his gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2010,
Moses Kipsiro said, “I am delighted to be back at the Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium where I won gold medals during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
I am motivated by new timing records at running events and look
forward to newer records in the current edition of Airtel Delhi Half
Marathon.”
In the International Elite Women’s Category, current record Holder and
defending champion Florence Kiplagat is geared up to give her best and
win the title by breaking her own record set at Barcelona in 2014.
She shocked the world by smashing world record for the half marathon
by 38 seconds and finishing in 1:05:12 and later in this year she
broke her own world record on the same course at the Barcelona Half
Marathon.
Commenting on if she will win again this time, Kiplagat said, “I am
motivated to complete the half marathon in under 65 minutes and am
working hard to achieve my career best feat.” Being a mother to two
daughters and a businesswoman back home, she insists, “Discipline is
the key to success at any sport. I wake up at 5 am every morning and
start training at 6:15 am after checking my business emails. I always
tell my kids to respect me and ensure that they are disciplined from
the very beginning of their lives”.
Competing with Kiplagat is Meseret Hailu who has defeated her in 2012
to win the Egmond half marathon.
Before Amsterdam marathon, Meseret Hailu traveled to Kavarna
(Bulgaria) for the World Half Marathon Championships where she
surprised everybody by winning the gold medal in hot and humid
circumstances.
After winning the gold, she went on to win the Amsterdam Marathon by
clocking 2:21:09 and in 2013 started her season in style by running an
Ethiopian Record of 66:56 in the RAK Half Marathon, which placed her
10th on the all-time lists.
Last year she participated in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon but
failed to achieve a podium finish. Responding to media queries, Hailu
said,” I had an injury earlier from which I’m recuperating very well
and I am hopeful of a faster run”. She also added that half marathons
are tougher to run than full marathons as half marathons require more
intensity and push you to the extreme.”
The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon course record currently stands at 59:06
set by Ethiopian Guye Adola in 2015 and the women’s record is by
Kenya’s Mary Keitany at 66:54 in 2009.
Received on Fri Nov 27 2015 - 20:41:42 EST