GENEVA: Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne won the Giants Geneva 10K yesterday, breaking the world record for a 10km road race.
With a time of 29:38, the Tokyo Olympics 10,000m silver medallist bettered the world-record mark set by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017, by five seconds.
For the 30-year-old, it was just the fourth road race of her career. By the time she reached the half-way point in 14:46, she had a five-second lead over Kenyan duo Celliphine Chespol and Agnes Tirop, who set a women’s world record of 30:01 for the 10km distance last month.
Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum also passed through halfway inside 15 minutes, but she soon began to drop back. Challenges from Chespol and Tirop also faded away, leaving Kalkidan Gezahegne with a significant lead.
Gezahegne covered the second half in 14:51, crossing the finish line in 29:38 to take five seconds off Jepkosgei’s world record set in Prague in 2017.
Tirop finished second in 30:20, eight seconds ahead of steeplechase specialist Chespol. Seyaum was further back in fourth, clocking 31:25.
In the men’s race Kenya’s half marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie claimed the victory in 26:51. Felix Kipkoech took second in 26:57 while Boniface Kibiwott was third with 27:13.
Gezahegne won 10,000m silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics behind Sifan Hassan.
Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, head of the General Sports Authority and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated His Majesty King Hamad, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the King’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and SCYS chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the landmark achievement.
Shaikh Khalid expressed pride in Kalkidan’s outstanding accomplishment.
He paid tribute to the Bahrain Athletics Association, led by Mohammed Abdullatif bin Jalal, and board members as well as the technical and administrative staff for their efforts to support Bahraini champions, wishing Kalkidan further success.
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