Chepkirui breaks record

Joyce Chepkirui

Joyce Chepkirui produced a superb performance when taking the ASICS Grand 10 in Berlin this Sunday. The Kenyan stormed to a 30:37 winning time, which is the sixth fastest ever achieved in a 10 k road race. Chepkirui not only smashed the course record but also broke the German Allcomers Record.

She was only 16 seconds away from the world record. Ethiopia’s Tadelech Bekele ran a brilliant race as well, finishing just a second behind in 30:38. No one has ever run so fast and not won. Leonard Komon took the men’s race for a fourth consecutive time. The Kenyan clocked 27:48. “We had another great race in every aspect. And we have confirmed our position as one of the world’s fastest 10 k races and the number one in Germany,” said Race Director Gerhard Janetzky.

In cool but dry weather conditions with 11 Celcius and a slight wind Joyce Chepkirui took the lead with a fast pace right from the start. But just a step behind was Tadelech Bekele. The pair passed the 5 k mark in a very fast 15:05, which was well in reach of Paula Radcliffe’s world record (30:21 in 2003). However in the second half Chepkirui, who led Bekele for the whole race, slightly slowed. She finally clocked 30:37, improving the course record (32:19) by more than one and a half minutes. Additionally she smashed the German Allcomers Record. Irina Mikitenko had clocked 30:57 in 2008 in Karlsruhe.

“I am very happy to have run a personal best. Conditions were not quite ideal, because it was a bit cold. But we still managed to run a relatively even and fast pace,” said Joyce Chepkirui, who improved her personal best by one second. “I think I am able to run even faster.” Tadelech Bekele clocked 30:38 for second place and became the seventh fastest 10 k runner of all times. It was a huge personal best for the 22 year-old Ethiopian, who had entered with a PB of 33:12. Switzerland’s Fabienne Schlumpf took third with 33:16, running a PB as well.

The pace in the men’s race was not as spectacular. No one wanted to take the initiative in the first few kilometres and the pace was slower than planned. It was then Leonard Komon who took the lead after four kilometres and opened a significant gap. The 25 year-old, who holds the Berlin course record with 27:12 since 2010, won comfortably in 27:48 minutes. Adugna Takele (Ethiopia), who has run the fastest time of the year with 27:30 in March, took second in 28:06. Richard Mengich (Kenya/28:13), Philemon Cheboi (Kenya/28:19) and Simon Tesfay (Eritrea/29:09) followed in third to fifth places while Germany’s André Pollmächer was sixth with 29:11. “I am happy to have won again in Berlin and to have beaten Adugna Takele, the fastest in the world this year,” said Leonard Komon, who achieved his fourth win in a row at the ASICS Grand 10 Berlin.