Joshua Cheptegei wins Dubai's Burj2Burj half in 59:26, four seconds covering the podium
The Ugandan beat Nicholas Kipkorir and Alphonce Simbu by two seconds each in his London Marathon build-up; Irine Cheptai led a Kenyan one-two in 1:06:57.
Photograph: Joshua Cheptegei and Yomif Kejelcha in the 10,000 m final at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, by Filip Bossuyt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsA week after the Dubai Marathon, the city ran its half. The Burj2Burj Half Marathon on Sunday morning drew about 13,700 runners on a flat course, and the men's race came down to three men and four seconds. Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda won in 59:26. Nicholas Kipkorir of Kenya was two seconds behind in 59:28 and Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania another two back in 59:30.
Cheptegei moved his focus to the road after the Paris Olympics, and this was a step in his preparation for the London Marathon on 26 April, where he is expected to line up against Jacob Kiplimo, his countryman and the Chicago champion. Uganda's two best distance runners of this era are now both marathoners, and both will be in London.
Kenya's Irine Cheptai won the women's race in 1:06:57, her first race of the year after a 2:18:51 for second in Shanghai last year. Daisilah Jerono made it a Kenyan one-two in 1:06:59, and Ftaw Zeray of Ethiopia was third in 1:07:01. Four seconds covered that podium too.
Two half marathons a week apart in the same city, both decided by a handful of seconds at the end of 21 km. The Gulf winter has become the place where the marathon year starts.
Sources: NBS Sport; Capital Sports.
