Posted: October 4, 2005

Athletics: World Half Marathon Championships Re-Shape Road Running Event Rankings

Monaco - While the previous Road Running Event Rankings leaders; Paula Radcliffe and Jaouad Gharib managed to hold off challengers and defend their top positions, the race behind them heated up following the 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton last week.

Romania’s Constantina Dita-Tomescu strengthened her second place behind the Marathon World champion by winning in Edmonton. Dita-Tomescu cruised home more than a minute clear of her closest rival in 1:09:17 (1346 points) and is now also well clear of Catherine Ndereba of Kenya who lies just behind the Romanian in 3rd in the Road Running Event Rankings. While the 35-year-old could not move up in the Event Rankings and catch Paula Radcliffe, she did improve in the Women’s Overall Rankings by climbing from 24th to 22nd.

Kenyan-born Lornah Kiplagat who is competing for the Netherlands crossed the line in second place in Edmonton in 1:10:19 (1290 points) and entered the Top-10 of the Road Running Event Rankings as she moved into 8th place. Her formal compatriot, Susan Chepkemei, was only a second behind Kiplagat in third (1:10:20 – 1264 points) but managed to stay ahead of the Dutch runner in the Rankings.

Although Chepkemei did not increase her points, she still moved up as Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu dropped points from last year’s South Shields BUPA Great North Run and slipped in the Rankings.

On the men’s side, 19-year-old Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania improved on his silver medal from the past two World Half Marathon Championships and took the gold this time around with 1:01:08 on the clock (1375 points). Joseph moved up six places to 4th in the Men’s Road Running Event Rankings, behind Kenya’s Martin Lel.

Although Lel did not compete in Edmonton, he did run the Meia Maratona de Portugal in Lisbon, and won it in 1:01:37 (1260 points), which allowed the former World Half Marathon Champion to move up two places in the Event Rankings to 3rd place. Lel also improved on his Men’s Overall Rankings position, where he moved into the Top-100 in 88th spot.

For more information please check IAAF.org.