Fabiano Joseph and Mubarak Hassan Shami

Fabiano Joseph and Constantina Tomescu are the new World Half Marathon Champions. The exactly 21,0975 kilometer long races were held on Saturday morning with 45 degrees Fahrenheit and rain in Edmonton (Canada). While the Tanzanian finished in 61:08 minutes, the Romanian clocked in 69:17. The men’s race ended with a big surprise at the last meters. In front was the long time leader Richard Yatich formerly Kenyan and who is now running for Qatar with the new name Mubarak Hassan Shami. Shami already won the Vienna Marathon this year.

Shami was leading the race most of the time, and the favorite Ethiopian Sileshi Sihine, who was running the Half Marathon for the first time, but was seen as the one who could win because of his very fast 10,000-meter times, had no chance to be up in front with Shami. But at the end Shami overlooked a competitor: While the former Kenyan already waved to the crowed, Fabiano Joseph sprinted from behind past Shami and snatched away the gold medal. “I was thinking I had won the race. I didn’t see Fabiano Joseph,” said Shami later. Place three took the Eritrean Yonas Kifle in 61:14 minutes.

Constantina Tomescu

Bad luck had another favorite: Gilbert Okari slipped during the race and hurt his calf. The Kenyan came defeated on rang 25 to the finish clocking 64:17 minutes.

Totally different was the women’s race in Edmonton. The leading Constantina Tomescu already had an 18 seconds gap at 10K. She came to 10K in 32:07 minutes. She enlarged her winning margin during the race and finished 62 seconds ahead of the second runner, clocking 69:17 minutes. Second was the former Kenyan Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands) in 70:19 minutes and third the Kenyan Susan Chepkemei in 70:20. “After Helsinki I took a week rest. For this race I have trained hard for a month,” said Tomescu after the race. She will not stop now, because in a week she will run the Chicago Marathon and try to defend her title.

Results:

Gilbert Okari

Men:

1. Fabiano Joseph Naasi (TAN) 61:08
2. Mubarak Hassan Shami (QAT) 61:09
3. Yonas Kifle (ERI) 61:13
4. Sileshi Sihine (ETH) 61:14
5. Abebe Dinkesa Negera (ETH) 61:53
6. John Yuda Msuri (TAN) 62:11
7. James Mwangi Macharia (KEN) 62:25
8. Kazuo Ietani (JPN) 62:26
9. Yared Asmerom (ERI) 62:44
10. Norman Dlomo (RSA) 62:45

Women:
1. Constantina Tomescu (ROM) 69:17
2. Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 70:19
3. Susan Chepkemei (KEN) 70:20
4. Galina Bogomolova (RUS) 70:34
5. Mihaela Botezan (ROM) 70:36
6. Madaí Pérez (MEX) 70:37
7. Lidia Grigoryeva (RUS) 71:01
8. Nuta Olaru (ROM) 71:07
9. Merima Hashim (ETH) 71:09
10. Adriana Pirtea (ROM) 71:10