Berihu Aregawi, the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist from Paris, will make his a lot anticipated half-marathon debut in Lisbon subsequent month (March 9).
The Ethiopian, who has a private better of 26:31.13 within the 10,000m, is at present fifth on the worldwide all-time listing over 25 laps.
Given Aregawi can also be the world 5km record-holder – he ran 12:49 in Barcelona 4 years in the past – it’ll be intriguing to see how fast he can go within the half-marathon.
A few of the 23-year-old’s opponents on the observe have already gained expertise over 13.1 miles, together with Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who beat Aregawi to the Olympic 10,000m gold medal final summer time.
Cheptegei’s one and solely half-marathon befell 5 years in the past, when he ran 59:21 in Gdynia, Poland.
Olympic 10,000m remaining (Getty)
Though the world 10,000m record-holder hasn’t but fairly mastered the half-marathon/marathon, different distance working athletes which have received main observe medals have carried out effectively on the roads.
The latest instance is Cheptegei’s compatriot Jacob Kiplimo, who set a world half-marathon document of 56:42 on the Barcelona Half (February 16).
Not solely did Kiplimo take an unimaginable 48 seconds off Yomif Kejelcha’s world document, he additionally turned the primary human in historical past to run a sub-57 minute half-marathon.
Kiplimo and Kejelcha have respective 10km bests of 26:48 and 26:37, compared to Aregawi’s 26:33.
Given Kiplimo and Kejelcha have excelled within the half-marathon, Aregawi ought to due to this fact be assured of recording a fast time when he makes his debut over 13.1 miles.
Jacob Kiplimo (Daniel Meumann for Sportmedia.es)
If Aregawi has any ambition of difficult Kiplimo’s 56:42, then he should first beat the Ugandan’s course document in Lisbon, which stands at 57:31 from 2021.
That mark remains to be the third quickest half-marathon time in historical past, emphasising that Lisbon can also be a remarkably fast course and one the place information may be damaged.
The pair have additionally competed towards one another on a number of events, together with in final 12 months’s Olympic 10,000m remaining, the place Aregawi and Kiplimo positioned second and eighth respectively.
Extra just lately, Aregawi beat Kiplimo finally December’s San Silvestre Vallecana 10km, edging out his rival by only a second in Madrid.
In addition they completed first and second within the senior race finally 12 months’s World Cross Nation Championships in Belgrade, with Kiplimo popping out on prime by three seconds.
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