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Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Helah Kiprop took the 33rd edition of the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON. For the first time in his career Kendagor clocked a time of 59:36 minutes. It is the fifth fastest result in the world this year, discounting courses of those races that are not eligible for official records. Only the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in the United Arab Emirates produced better times than the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON. Helah Kiprop achieved great result as well, dipping under 68 minutes with 67:54. It is the third fastest time ever run in the traditional event. In cold but sunny conditions with temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius a record number of 30,114 runners had entered the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
In the men’s race Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Silas Kipruto opened a gap after roughly half point. It was then with four kilometres to go that 28 year-old Kendagor left behind Silas Kipruto. Clocking 61:15 he substantially improved his personal best. Before the race Kendagor had not been faster than 61:15. So today he was 1:39 minutes faster. His best race so far had also come in Berlin: In 2012 Kendagor took third in the 25 k race with a world-class 1:11:59. “I am very happy to be back in Berlin and achieveing another fine personal best,” Kendagor said. Behind Kendagor it was Silas Kipruto who took second with 60:12 minutes, followed by two more Kenyans: Victor Kipchirchir (60:27) and Kenneth Kipkemboi (60:45).
On the day of her 28th birthday Helah Kiprop triumphed and successfully took revenge: It was a year ago when Philes Ongori was the winner of the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON and Helah Kiprop had taken second. Now it was the other way round. Helah Kiprop had taken the lead early. In the end she was seven seconds ahead with a time of 67:54. Fellow-Kenyan Ongori followed (68:01) and Japan’s Mai Ito took third with 70:00. “It felt very cold at first, but then it was getting better during the race,” said Helah Kiprop.
Here are some impressions of the race.