Zersenay Tadese, the world record holder for the half marathon (58:23 in Lisbon 2010), will face a strong challenge from three runners who have cracked the one hour barrier and several others with the credentials to effect an upset as he tries to break his own record in Prague on April 6th. The Eritrean, Tadese, a half marathon specialist, has won six World Championships with four of them coming in the half marathon, one in Cross Country and one at 20 kilometers.
Jana Moberly, the elite athlete coordinator for the Hervis Prague Half Marathon (an IAAF Gold Label Race), today also confirmed the participation of Kenyans Prius Maiyo Kiprop (59:25 Berlin 2012), Philemon Kimeli Limo (59:30 Prague 2011), and Daniel Kipchumba Chebii (59:49 Ceske Budejovice 2012). Adding quality to the starting list will be a second Eritrean, Teklemarian Medhin, the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Bronze Medalist. Medhin, with a personal best of 27:16 for 10,000 meters, will be making his half marathon debut, and Kenyan Henry Kiplagat (1:00:01 Prague 2012) who is still only twenty years old will be making his fifth appearance in RunCzech event. The top seeded Czech men are Jiri Homolac (1:07:12 Usti nad Labem 2012) and Robert Krupicka (1:06:50 Wroclaw 2005). Carlo Capalbo, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, stated “We have never had such a strong field, and I am sure we will break records again this year”.
In 2012 Atsedu Tsegay ran a world leading and event record 58:47 in the Hervis Prague Half Marathon making both he and the race the fourth fastest in history. This year the race completely sold out the 12,500 entries two months before the April 6 start.
The women’s start list, while on paper not as strong as the men’s this year, should produce a very competitive race with six women with personal bests under 1 hour and 10 minutes. Led by the 22 year old Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia who ran 1:07:49 this year in Rome. The other top contenders include Kenyans Agnes Katunge Mutune (1:09:04 Pune 2012) and Gladys Cherono (1:08:18 Prague 2012) plus Degefa’s compatriot Tadelech Bekele (1:09:31 Goteborg 2012 and Verbania 2013) and Waganesh Mekasha (1:08:48 Marrakech 2013). The two top Czech women are the 15 time Czech Champion 40 year old Petra Kaminkova {1:12:17) and the 41 year old London Olympic marathoner Ivana Sekyrova (1:15:24).
TOP 10 Men
| Nat | Name Surname | Born | PB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ERI | Zersenay TADESE | 8.2.1982 | 0:58:23 |
| 2 | KEN | Philemon Kimeli LIMO | 2.8.1985 | 0:59:30 |
| 3 | KEN | Pius Maiyo KIROP | 8.1.1990 | 0:59:25 |
| 4 | KEN | Daniel Kipchumba CHEBII | 28.5.1985 | 0:59:49 |
| 5 | ERI | Teklemariam MEDHIN | 24.6.198 | 9 debut |
| 6 | KEN | Henry KIPLAGAT | 16.12.1992 | 1:00:01 |
| 7 | ETH | Andualem BELAY | 5.4.1992 | 1:00:10 |
| 8 | KEN | Stephen TUM | 12.6.1986 | 1:00:58 |
| 9 | ETH | Abere KASSW | 8.12.1994 | 1:01:12 |
| 10 | ETH | Tesfaalem GEBREAREGAWI 13 | 11.1995 | 1:01:07 |
TOP 10 Women
| Nat | Name Surname | Born | PB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ETH | Worknesh DEGEFA | 28.10.1990 | 1:07:49 |
| 2 | KEN | Gladys CHERONO | 12.5.1983 | 1:08:18 |
| 3 | KEN | Agnes Katunge MUTUNE | 26.6.1986 | 1:09:04 |
| 4 | ETH | Tadelech BEKELE | 11.4.1991 | 1:09:31 |
| 5 | KEN | Edinah KWAMBAI | 1.1.1975 | 1:10:36 |
| 6 | JAP | Azusa NOJIRI | 6.6.1982 | 1:10:53 |
| 7 | KEN | Isabella OCHICHI | 28.10.1979 | 1:08:38 |
| 8 | ETH | Waganesh MEKASHA | 16.1.1992 | 1:08:48 |
| 9 | KEN | Pamela Chesopich LISORENG | 5.8.1988 | 1:11:33 |
| 10 | ETH | Ehitu KIROS | 13.1.1988 | 1:11:58 |