Host city | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom |
---|---|
Nations | 39 |
Athletes | 157 |
Events | 2 |
Dates | 2009-10-11 |
Race length | 21.0975 kilometres |
Individual prize money (US$) | 1st: 30,000 2nd: 15,000 3rd: 10,000 4th: 7,000 5th: 5,000 6th: 3,000 |
Team prize money (US$) | 1st: 15,000 2nd: 12,000 3rd: 9,000 4th: 7,500 5th: 6,000 6th: 3,000 |
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series. [1]
The city of Birmingham was selected by the IAAF Council after a presentation by UK Athletics and the Birmingham City Council. [2] It was the third time the championships were held in Great Britain, after the 1992 event on Tyneside and the 2001 edition in Bristol. [3] A number of events were scheduled to coincide with the Championships: a three-day convention for Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, as well as an IAAF press conference to discuss the future and progression of the sport. [4]
In addition to the main World Championship races, the Birmingham Half Marathon started thirty minutes after the women's World Championship race. Organised by Birmingham City Council and sponsored by EDF Energy, it was the second edition of the mass race which attracted over 9000 runners in 2008. [4] A total of 12,068 people signed up to run the Birmingham Half Marathon. [5]
A total of 47 IAAF member federations sent athletes to the championships, the highest number since the 2002 edition. [4]
The men's race and women's race started at BST 9.00 am and 9:30 am, respectively. [6] The course passed through Birmingham city centre and the city's southern suburbs, Centenary Square acting as the start and end point of the race. Highlights along the route included Cannon Hill Park, Cadbury World and the Bournville model village, Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Victoria Square and the Bull Ring. [7] The course is largely straight and flat, although there is an abrupt descent and ascent at the start and finish of the route, and slight rises and falls between the 10 and 16 km marks around Selly Park. [8]
Eritrean runner Zersenay Tadese, who had won the last two World Half Marathons as well as the 20 km race in 2006, announced that he would attempt to defend his title and his chances improved after world leader Patrick Makau Musyoki was not listed from the Kenyan squad. [9] The defending women's champion Lornah Kiplagat did not attempt to defend her title due to a knee injury, and three-time champion Paula Radcliffe filled the void, aiming for a record fourth title. [10] However, she too withdrew from the event due to tonsillitis, dealing a blow to the host nation's chances. [11] [12]
Tadese was the outright favourite of the men's race, with his greatest challenge coming from Kenyans Sammy Kitwara, Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and Bernard Kiprop Kipyego, Ethiopians Tilahun Regassa and Dereje Tesfaye. Dathan Ritzenhein, Fabiano Joseph Naasi and Marilson dos Santos were other outside chances. The Kenyan and Eritrean men's teams were favoured for the gold and silver team medals, while the team's from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda were suggested as possible bronze medallists. Unusually, Qatar (whose team placed third in 2008) did not send any runners to the competition. [13]
In the women's race, Kenyan Mary Jepkosgei Keitany was the favourite in the absence of Kiplagat and Radcliffe. Keitany went into the championships as the world's leading half marathon runner, having run 1:07:00 seconds earlier in the season, and the race was seen as a chance for her to make her mark over the distance. The next fastest runner that season was her compatriot Philes Ongori, although her time of 1:07:50 was some way off Keitany's. Two more possible medallists, Filomena Cheyech and Caroline Cheptanui Kilel rounded out a strong Kenyan squad. The Ethiopian team was missing two of their best runners (Dire Tune and Aselefech Mergia), but Abebu Gelan and Aberu Kebede were still in medal contention. The Japanese athletes, Yukiko Akaba and Yurika Nakamura, looked to maintain Japan's past podium form in the team competition. New Zealand's Kim Smith was regarded as an unknown quantity, as she was moving to the road competitions after much success on the track. [14]
At the pre-race press conference the IAAF General Secretary, Pierre Weiss, lamented the relative lack of interest in the competition, vocalising the IAAF's dissatisfaction with the number of competing athletes and federations. He acknowledged that the competition's prize money was not at parity with other top level marathons. Wilson Kipketer, the 800 metres world record holder, pointed out that the standard of Europe's long-distance runners had been largely surpassed by other region's athletes, most notably by Africa. Kipketer argued that Europeans were not making the most of their sporting facilities and were "not training properly or timing and planning their seasons properly". Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics, agreed that a rethink was needed in terms of training and mindset. [15]
Detailed reports on the event and an appraisal of the results were given both for the men's race [16] [17] and for the women's race. [18] [19]
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Individual | ||||||
Men | Zersenay Tadesse (ERI) | 59:35 | Bernard Kipyego (KEN) | 59:59 | Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) | 1:00:00 |
Women | Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (KEN) | 1:06:36 | Philes Moora Ongori (KEN) | 1:07:38 | Aberu Kebede (ETH) | 1:07:39 |
Team | ||||||
Team Men | Kenya | 3:01:06 | Eritrea | 3:02:39 | Ethiopia | 3:06:42 |
Team Women | Kenya | 3:22:30 | Ethiopia | 3:26:14 | Japan | 3:31:31 |
Complete results were published [20] for the men's race, [21] [22] for the women's race, [23] [24] for men's team, [25] [26] and for women's team. [27] [28]
†: Inga Abitova from Russia was initially 9th (1:09:53), but her competition results were annulled, beginning October 10, 2009, because of breaking anti-doping regulations. [29] [30]
Rank | Country | Team | Time |
---|---|---|---|
Kenya | Mary Keitany Philes Ongori Caroline Cheptanui Kilel | 3:22:30 CR | |
Ethiopia | Aberu Kebede Mestawet Tufa Tirfi Tsegaye | 3:26:14 | |
Japan | Yurika Nakamura Ryoko Kizaki Remi Nakazato | 3:31:31 | |
4 | Russia | Silvia Skvortsova Elza Kireeva Irina Timofeyeva | 3:34:08† |
5 | United States | Amy Yoder Begley Serena Burla Amy Hastings | 3:34:24 |
6 | South Africa | René Kalmer Annerien van Schalkwyk Poppy Mlambo | 3:36:30 |
7 | Great Britain | Claire Hallissey Michelle Ross-Cope Gemma Miles | 3:41:00 |
8 | Mexico | Dulce María Rodríguez Marisol Romero Judith Ramírez | 3:45:39 |
9 | Peru | Inés Melchor Jimena Misayauri Hortencia Arazapalo | 3:46:47 |
†: The team from Russia was initially ranked 3rd (3:31:23), but fell behind Japan after the disqualification of Inga Abitova.
The participation of 157 athletes (98 men/59 women) from 39 countries is reported. [20]
Zersenay Tadese Habtesilase is an retired Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20-km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship event. He does not use a sprint finish to win races; his strategy relies on a combination of efficient running and fast pace setting.
A half marathon is a road running event of 21.0975 kilometres —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcuts. If finisher medals are awarded, the medal or ribbon may differ from those for the full marathon. The half marathon is also known as a 21K, 21.1K, or 13.1 miles, although these values are rounded and not formally correct.
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