Evans Cheruiyot at an earlier race this spring. © Victah Sailer

There was a great half marathon men’s race in Udine, Italy last Sunday. Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot won in 60:18 minutes, scarcely in front of countryman Paul Kirui, who was given the same time. Ahead of five other Kenyans, William Todoo finished third in 60:33. Felix Limo, who is preparing for the Chicago Marathon, was still weak following an illness, and had to be content with eighth place in 63:28. In the women’s race, Hungarian Aniko Kalovics won in 70:30 ahead of Rosaria Console (Italy/71:54) and Simone Staicu (Romania/74:02).

Edith Masai Shows Strong Form in Tübingen

European 10,000 meter champion Jan Fitschen (Germany) scarcely missed victory at the 7.5 kilometer Tübingen city race in Germany. Clocking the same time as Kenyan Moses Kigen, he finished second in 21:51. Nicholas Koech (Kenya) finished third in the same time. Austrian steeplechaser Günter Weidlinger came in fifth in 22:05.

The strongest performance came from Kenyan Edith Masai, who won in 23:49. Second place was taken by Irina Mikitenko (Germany). She was ninth at the European Championships at 10,000m, and finished here in 24:32 ahead of Viola Bor (Kenya/25:13) and Claudia Dreher (Germany/26:17). Mikitenko will be running at the inaugural half marathon held in conjunction with the Cologne Marathon on October 8. There it will come to another duel with Sabrina Mockenhaupt, who won a 10K in Leverkusen in 33:19 last weekend.