NAIROBI, Kenya, September 15 – World Half Marathon champion Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday morning in a thrilling sprint to the finish line.
Sawe clocked 58:05, ahead of world record holder Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda who timed 58:09 in second.
Another Kenyan, Isaiah Lasoi clocked 58:10 to finish third.
The win was Sawe’s fifth this year in what has been a dominant season for the 29-year-old.
He began his season with victory in the men’s senior 10km race at the National Cross Country Championships in March, clocking 28:39.
Sawe then timed 58:24 to win the Prague Half Marathon in May before running 27:24 to clinch the men’s race at the Boston 10km road race.
He then clocked 28:03 to win the Atlanta 10km road race in July.
Chelimo bounces back
In the women’s race, the 2022 World 10,000m bronze medalist Margaret Chelimo missed out on the course record by a whisker, running 1:05:11 to emerge victorious.
Following her were fellow countrywomen, Judy Kemboi – who timed 1:05:43 in second – and world half marathon bronze medalist Catherine Reline Amanangole who clocked 1:06:09 to claim third.
It was Chelimo’s first competition since August when she narrowly missed out on podium in the women’s 10,000m at the Paris Olympics.
On that occasion, the 31-year-old clocked 30:44.58 in fourth – a race in which Beatrice Chebet made history as the first Kenyan to ever win the Olympics title for the women’s 10,000m.