Prague Highlights

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - whenever starting pistol fires Saturday to signal the beginning of the 18th yearly Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon, it will also mark the commencement associated with first event regarding the 7-race RunCzech flowing Race Series. The very first time, the complete show will carry the coveted IAAF Gold Label – the greatest honor given to cross country road events by the sport’s governing human anatomy. Gold label category is a most exclusive distinction. And Prague – having its three Series races so recognized using this honor, above any kind of city – are now able to be celebrated as the most decorated town in road racing.

It absolutely was from this impressive background that pre-race hit meeting happened these days in the Cloud 9 Club – high atop the Prague Hilton, overlooking the Vltava River which flows through this iconic European money.

Using IAAF Half Marathon World Championship Race held last Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, it can be anticipated that ordinarily skilled and deep Prague industry will be exhausted. Not so. In the men’s battle, final year’s one half marathon world leader [at 59:10] Abraham Cheroben and Prague defending champion Daniel Wanjiru emphasize an elite industry that will add 5 athletes with damaged 1 hour and another 11 which raced the length in under 61 minutes. [By comparison, only 3 Us citizens have broken 1:01:00 – ever before.] Regarding women’s side, Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa – who grabbed the 2015 Prague top in 1:07:14 – will guard her subject against a loaded area which will see 6 elite feminine racers with PR’s under 1:10 toe the range. Degefa – who's already run 1:07:08 this current year – is anticipated be challenged by countrywoman Afera Godfay, final year’s 5th location finisher.

Pre-race conversations with a number of the favorites supplied helpful insights regarding the future race. While their normal shyness as well as the language barrier impeded more beneficial interaction, Abraham Cheroben quietly allow it to be understood he could be in good shape and able to race. While their sidestep give Cardiff’s World Half Marathon Championship final weekend puzzled many, it absolutely was obvious to Cheroben and his handlers felt that Kenya’s murky and often-unpredictable method of picking its Olympic professional athletes made on the weekend’s Prague Half Marathon the better place to showcase his talents. Like numerous half marathon specialists, the likeable Cheroben – last year’s half marathon globe leader at 59:10 – is searching for the best way to get to Rio. Is-it the 10, 000 yards and/or marathon? Cheroben believes their better possibility is in the track occasion in which he seeks to lop off time from his existing PR.

Kenneth Keter, a Run Czech athlete who's got decreased their PR to 59:28 examined their opportunities in the press meeting. “I plan to run-in the lead pack for the very first 15 kilometers after which i am hoping to be able to make the relocate to win the race, ” explained Keter just who, at 19, is the youngest elite athlete in the field. Since joining the RunCzech Racing Team, Keter has actually decreased their one half marathon PR from 62:29 to an IAAF Gold Medal clocking of 59:28. The up-and-coming star – just who credits the facility, help, training regimen provided by the RunCzech Racing Team for their spectacular improvement – is unfazed because of the prospects of a quick previous speed about this historically-fast program. “If they would like to operate 58 small rate, i'm prepared to run 58 minutes, ” declared the confident young Kenyan.

Pre-race meeting utilizing the confident Kenneth Keter:

Cheroben and Keter aren't the only threats in this deep field. The elite guys would be careless to rule out difficulties from at least two various other Kenyan’s: last year’s protecting champion Daniel Wanjiru whom grabbed the 2015 subject in 59:51; and Peter Kirui who's got clocked 59:22 and it has demonstrated 10, 000 meter rate.

The women’s race had been previous considered to be a two-athlete battle between Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa and Portugal’s Sara Moreira. But Moreira is coming back from an injury and freely admitted on press summit that she is not fit enough to match Degefa’s anticipated 67 minute speed. Moreira – the best Portuguese female distance runner considering that the legendary Rosa Mota – received attention last autumn whenever she ran even splits to finish 4th in nyc Marathon in 2:25:53. Using the Olympic standard at hand, the Portuguese celebrity – that is making her marathon buildup for Rio a premier 2016 priority – is anticipated to operate honorably, yet not ferociously, on Saturday. Degefa, conversely, is quiet, but supremely confident. She currently has rung up two 2016 events under 1:08 – including a 1:07:08 which can be #8 on this year’s globe record. When asked exactly what she needs to perform on Saturday, Degefa – whoever husband has arrived to take care of the elite women’s tempo chores – didn’t hesitate. “66, ” she immediately responded.

Many neighborhood eyes might be trained on Czech preferred Eva Vrabcova. With other Czech Anezka Drahotova – a former globe junior champ inside 20 kilo battle walk as well as the top Czech female finisher in final year’s race – away with an injury, Saturday could possibly be Vrabcova’s possiblity to shine. A three-time Olympian in cross country skiing, Vrabcova will not be coy about the woman 2016 goal. She would want to result in the Czech summer time Olympic staff as a marathoner, thereby joining an extremely select selection of only 7 international athletes with took part in both summertime and cold temperatures Olympic Games when you look at the modern-day age.

So that the table is defined: superb climate; an attractive, historic program that has which may create quick times; and top flight international competitors in both the men’s and women’s elite competitions. And Saturday we will see in the event that top notch athletes who bypassed the Cardiff worldwide championship to battle in this historical and picturesque European capital can churn out gold medal performances worthy of this Gold Label competition.