N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon Selected Results: Chepngetich Break World Record

Here are the top results from the 2021 N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon which took place in Turkey on Sunday, April 4. The race is a World Athletics Elite Label road race and it saw Ruth Chepngetich from Kenya smashing the world half-marathon record on her way to winning the women’s race.

Chepngetich Smashes WR At Istanbul Half Marathon

The 26-year-old Chepngetich, who was winning her third title, after winning in 2017 and 2019, outpaced Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw over the closing stages of the race to win in a time of 1 hour, 04 minutes, and 02 seconds to shave 29 seconds off the previous world record.

Ruth_Cheepngetich_of_Kenya_breaks_world_record at 2021_Istanbul_Half_Marathon — Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya after she breaks the world record at 2021 N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon

Yehualaw followed home second in a time of 1:04:40, while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the two-time world championships 5,000m champion, crossed the line in third place in a time of 1:04:51, as the three women finished inside 65 minutes in the same half marathon for the first time.

Joan Chelimo Melly of Kenya took fourth place in 1:05:09, while compatriot Brigid Kosgei, who was one of the pre-race contenders, dropped the fifth with 1:06:01.

Meanwhile, the men’s race at the 2021 N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon was won by world record holder Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya who raced home in a time of 59:35 to go below the race record, which was set by Amdework Walelegn of Ethiopia in 2018 at 59:50.

Kandie, who set the world record in Valencia last year, took the lead in the final stages of the race and held off a push from his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor to claim victory by three seconds with the latter crossing at 59:38.

The top four finishers on Sunday all went below the previous race record with Roncer Kipkorir of Kenya taking third place in 59:46 and Ethiopian Amdework Walelegn getting third in 59:48. Leonard Barsoton (KEN) ran 59:59 to also break the one-hour mark.