Peres Jepchirchir smashes women-only half marathon world record in Prague
Sep 05, 2020
Prague [Czech Republic], September 5 : Long-distance runner Peres Jepchirchir smashed the women-only race world record in the half marathon in Prague on Saturday morning.
The 26-year-old Kenyan clocked 1:05:34 at the Prague 21.1 km, shattering the previous record of 1:06:11 set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018.
Breaking away from the small field just 20 minutes into the race, Jepchirchir set out on a ravaging pace over the 16.5-lap course in Prague's Letna Park, passing 10 kilometres in 30:32. She slowed over the waning laps but still finished well under the previous mark.
"I was thinking to run maybe 1:04:50, but I'm so happy," said Jepchirchir, who raced to the world half marathon title in 2016.
This is Jepchirchir's second world record over the distance. She clocked 1:05:06 in a mixed-race in Ras Al Khaimah in 2017, a record which stood for just under two months.
