(SATSports) – Tsehay Gemechu from Ethiopia stormed to the finish line in 1:05:08 to set a new women’s record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday.
The 22-year-old cut seven seconds off the race record set by the Netherlands’ double Olympic gold medalist Sifan Hassan in 2018.
Finishing in second place was fellow Ethiopian Hawi Feysa, 33 seconds adrift, and Kenya’s Vivian Kiplagat crossed the line third with a time of 1:06:07.
After an absence of one year and a half, the CPH Half returned to the streets of central Copenhagen on Sunday with approximately 20,000 entrants from all over the world.
A tight finish in the men’s event saw Amdework Walalegn from Ethiopia having to squeeze across the finish line in 59 minutes and 10 seconds under pressure from Keneth Renju of Kenya, who came just two seconds behind.
Third place in the men’s event was secured by fellow Kenyan Daniel Mateiko in 59 minutes and 25 seconds.
With the final remnants of COVID-19 restrictions lifted in Denmark earlier in the month, “one of the world’s fastest half marathon routes of 21.0975 kilometers”, according to organizers Sparta Atletik & Lob, was now able to attract a “distinguished field of runners”.
