Posted: November 21, 2004

Athletics: Sihine Flirts With 15-K World Record

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia flirted with the world's fastest time for 15 kilometers today at the Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Run) in Nijmegen, Netherlands today.

Sihine, 21, covered the challenging course in 41:38, just 9 seconds slower than Felix Limo did in 2001 when he ran the world record on the same course.

Sihine, along with countryman Tadesse Feyissa and Kenyans Moses Mosop and Mechak Sang, passed through 5 km in 14:09, but by the time 10-K was reached Sihine had a 8-secoond lead over Mosop, 27:56 to 28:04. His lead kept growing right to the tape; Mosop finished second in 42:25, the better part of a minute behind.

Sihine is now tied with Haile Gebrselassie for the #2 time in history for the 15-K road distance.

Marco Gielen of the Netherlands was the first non-African finisher, in ninth place (44:15).

Lydia Cheromei of Kenya won the women's race in 47:02, the second-fastest time in history, just five seconds behind Elena Meyer's world record of 46:57. Diribe Alemu of Ethiopia was a distance second in 48:25.

The race had offered a large bonus for a world record: 25,000 Euros.