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Jepchirchir breaks women-only half marathon world record

Athletics

By Standard Sports | Sep 05, 2020

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir ran the fastest women-only half marathon in history in Prague, finishing the race in an hour, five minutes and 34 seconds. (Photo / AFP)

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir broke the women-only half marathon world record in Prague on Saturday morning.

The 26-year-old clocked 1:05:34 to win the Prague 21.1km, a half marathon race featuring only female runners with no male athletes or pacers.

Jepchirchir's winning mark beats the previous record of 1:06:11 set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018.

"I was thinking to run maybe 1:04:50, but I'm so happy," said the 2016 world half marathon championships gold medalist.

It is the second time Jepchirchir has broken a world record over the distance. She registered her personal best of 1:05:06 in a mixed-race three years ago in Ras Al Khaimah to set the world record, which only stood for eight months.

The current women's half marathon world record in a mixed-race is 1:04:31, set by Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh in February in Ras Al Khaimah.