HALF MARATHON. Kavarna, Bulgaria - When the gun sounds the start of the men’s race at the 20th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on Saturday (October 6, 2012) morning here in this Black Sea coast resort town, the main focus of Kavarna 2012 will fall squarely on one man – Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese, the event’s World record holder who’ll be chasing a fifth global title at the event.

The situation was similar two years ago in Nanning, China, where Tadese was looking to add to his four consecutive titles, a streak that began in 2006. He came up a bit short – four seconds shy, to be precise – but still took silver to ensure he wouldn’t return home empty-handed.

Now 30, Tadese remains very much one of the premiere half marathoners in the world. In 2011 he clocked 58:30 in Lisbon, just sevens seconds short of his World record and while he's raced sparingly this year - he won in Lisbon last spring with 59:34 - he finished a notable sixth in the Olympic 10,000m in August, his most recent appearance.

Relatively warm conditions, sunny skies and high humidity are expected on Sunday, although the climate hasn’t ever really been a major hurdle for Tadese, whose native Eritrea is one of the hottest countries on the planet. His second global title came in the now-legendary heat and humidity of Mombasa in 2007 when he ended Kenenisa Bekele's World Cross Country streak with his triumphant run. His third Half Marathon title, won in dominating fashion with a largely solo run, came in the heat and under the sun of Rio de Janeiro in 2008.

But he’ll face some stiff competition on the roads, namely by a formidable Kenyan squad who have won the past five team titles, six of the last seven, and 13 of 19 in all.

Kipchoge – chief challenger?

The standout name is that of Eliud Kipchoge who is no strange to IAAF World Championships. After winning the global title over 5000m in 2003 when he was just 19 years old, he has remained a consistently formidable force on the track since. Now 27, Kipchoge is ready to take to the roads. On 1 September he produced a sensational 59:25 performance at the Lille Half Marathon, the second fastest debut ever over the distance. It’s perfectly reasonable to suggest that Kipchoge can go faster. How well he follows up just five weeks after his debut will also illustrate how truly suited he is to the longer distances.

His compatriot, 22-year-old Pius Kirop, also has a 59:25 career best from Berlin earlier this year but is already in his fourth season of international half marathoning and could be ready for a breakout run.

Faster still is Stephen Kibet Kosgei, the 25-year-old who smashed through the one-hour barrier when he won the City Pier City Half Marathon at The Hague in March in 58:54. That performance, which elevated the 25-year-old into the No. 7 position all-time, is still the year's second fastest.

Kenya's foursome will likely be rounded out by Philemon Limo who's clocked 59:32 this year to win the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, just two second off of his personal best. Limo, 27, also has Championship experience, having finished seventh at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships.

Other prospects

Ethiopia, the 2005 team champion, will be lead by Raji Assefa. The 26-year-old has a 1:00:07 personal best from 2008 (1:01:13 SB) but made a marked improvement in the Marathon this year with a 2:06:24 runner-up finish in Paris in April. He's competed twice at these Championships, finishing 12th in 2007 and 14th in 2008. Belay Assefa, who turned 20 in June, has been faster this season at 1:00:59, but remains untested internationally.

Meanwhile, Tadese will be backed-up by Samuel Tsegay, the 23-year-old who will likely pick up Eritrea's distance running mantle when Tadese is ready to step aside. Just 23, he's already collected fifth place finishes at the 2009 and 2010 editions of these championships as well as at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships. He's run 1:01:09 this year but has a personal best of 1:00:17. He didn't finish the Olympic Marathon so will be looking to make up for that disappointment.

Some others to watch include Nicholas Kiprono of Uganda who has a 1:00:25 career best and Stephen Mokoka of South Africa who has also run under 1:01:00 this season.

A total prize money purse of $245,000 (122,500 each for the men's and women's races) is on offer, paid to the first six finishers, with $30,000 going to the individual winners. Teams will be gunning for a $15,000 first place prize.

Also on offer is a $50,000 World record bonus. That mark is 58:23 set by Tadese in Lisbon in March 2010.

The weather forecast for race time calls for high humidity with temperatures between 15-16 C. (60-61 F.) under clear sunny skies.

Can Kenya be stopped in Kavarna? - Women’s PREVIEW

Kavarna, Bulgaria – A strong Kenyan squad will start as the overwhelming favourite to take both the women’s individual and team titles at the 20th edition of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships set for Saturday (6) in this Bulgarian Black Sea coast resort town.

Kenya has captured four of the last five team titles at these Championships, the last two propelled by the individual winners, Florence Kiplagat in 2010 and Mary Keitany the year before that. Those two won’t be at the start on Saturday morning but Kenya will field the five fastest entrants, with any of that handful fully capable of capturing the individual title as well.

At 1:07:17, Pasalia Chepkorir Kipkoech is the fourth fastest runner in the world this season, and the fastest of the field assembled in Kavarna. The 23-year-old produced that mark in Rio de Janeiro in August, one of four victories in as many outings this year on the Brazilian circuit. Underscoring her consistency was a 1:08:20 victory at Iguazú in July.

At 35 Lydia Cheromei is the oldest and most experienced with a knack of improving with age. A silver medallist at these Championships back in 2004, Cheromei has improved this year to 1:07:26 with her runner-up finish in Prague last March, and has also produced a 2:21:30 career best in the Marathon this year. Most recently she was fourth in the fast Lille Half Marathon where she clocked a solid 1:08:54.

Priscah Jepleting Cherono is another familiar name with plenty of high level experience. A silver medallist over the short course at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, Jepleting took World bronze over 5000m in 2007 and was fourth over 10,000m in Daegu last year. This season, at 32, she improved her Half Marathon best to 1:08:35 with her third place finish in Lille last month.

Pauline Njeri Kahenya, 27, has also dipped under 1:08 this year courtesy of her 1:07:55 victory in Paris in early March, while Peninah Arusei (1:07:48 PB), the bronze medallist in Nanning two years ago, has clocked 1:08:12 this season, so can't be discounted.

Flanagan leads the challenge

But all the medal favourites aren’t from Kenya. The short list of realistic challengers includes Shalane Flanagan of the U.S., the bronze medallist in the 2008 Olympic 10,000m and at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships.

Flanagan has had a strong year on the roads, first winning the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in January and then the Lisbon Half Marathon in late March where she clocked 1:08:52. After the Kenyans, Flanagan is the field’s next fastest this season. The 31-year-old will be looking to regroup from a disappointing 10th place finish in the Olympic Marathon while she aims to become the first U.S. woman to finish on the podium at these Championships.

Starting as the fastest women in the field is Turkish star Elvan Abeylegesse who returns to international action after maternity leave. A former World record holder in the 5000m and a double Olympic silver medallist in 2008, the 30-year-old made an auspicious debut over the distance in Ras Al Khaimah in 2010 when clocking 1:07:07, which still ranks her as the ninth fastest woman ever.

Ethiopia, the team champion in 2004 and 2008, will be lead by Feyse Tadese who finished fourth in Nanning two years ago. The 23-year-old has a 1:09:15 to her credit this year after a fourth place finish in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon and has also produced a solid 2:23:26 Marathon best with her victory at the Dong-A Marathon in Seoul back in March. Her career best, 1:08:44, was set last year in Rabat.

Japan, the team champion at the inaugural edition back in 1992 and the team bronze medallist five of the last six years, again arrives with team podium aspirations. Tomomi Tanaka is the fastest of the five this year with her 1:09:47 personal best from the Corporate Championships in Yamaguchi in March.

Others to watch include German Sabrina Mockenhaupt whose impressive 1:08:48 career best was set back in 2010. She hasn’t however contested any road races yet this year.

A total prize money purse of $245,000 (122,500 each for the men's and women's races) is on offer, paid to the first six finishers, with $30,000 going to the individual winners. Teams will be gunning for a $15,000 first place prize.

Also on offer is a $50,000 bonus for breaking Lornah Kiplagat’s 1:06:25 World record, set in Udine, Italy, in 2007, when the Dutchwoman won the second of her three consecutive titles.

The weather forecast for race time calls for high humidity with temperatures between 15-16 C. (60-61 F.) under clear sunny skies.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
http://iaaf.org/Mini/WHM12/Index.aspx
Thursday, October 04, 2012

$245,000 Prize Money up for grabs - Kavarna 2012

A total prize purse of US$245,000 will be paid by the IAAF for the men's and women's races at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, Kavarna, Bulgaria, on Saturday 6 October 2012.

Prize Money (all amounts are in US$)

Place / Prize

Individual
1st - 30,000
2nd - 15,000
3rd - 10,000
4th - 7000
5th - 5000
6th - 3000

Teams
1st - 15,000
2nd - 12,000
3rd - 9000
4th - 7500
5th - 6000
6th - 3000

World record bonus

Any athlete who surpasses a World record in Kavarna will be awarded $US50,000 by the IAAF.

NOTE. The payment of all prize money is dependent upon athletes undergoing and clearing the usual anti-doping procedures.

Timetable

Saturday 6 October (times are local: GMT +3)

Women’s Race 08:30
Men’s Race 11:00

IAAF
http://iaaf.org
Tuesday, October 02, 2012