Former world half marathon silver medallist, Mary Wacera Ngugi will headline the star studded women’s field at the 49th edition of the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon slated for Sunday (03) in Rome, Italy.
The 35 year-old who is also the 2021 Boston Marathon silver medallist, comes to this race with a life time best of 1:06.29 that she got eight years ago at the Houston Half Marathon, where she took the honors.
Ngugi who runs her own stable, the Nala Track Club which is empowering young girls and is based in her home are, Nyahururu, will tag along her compatriot Nelly Jeptoo who comes to this race with the fourth fastest time on paper of 1:09.49 that she got at the Venloop Half Marathon where she finished in fourth.
The two will have to get past two Ethiopians led by the rising, 20 year-old Wariyo Bekelech Teku who recently finished fifth at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and Anna Dibaba, who is the younger sister of well-established Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba.
The race organisers have assembled a strong team, who will attempt to lower the race course record of 1:06.03, set two years ago by Kenya’s Irene Kimais.
LEADING TIME
21KM WOMEN
- Mary Wacera Ngugi (KEN) 1:06.29
- Nelly Jeptoo (KEN) 1:09.49
- Wariyo Bekelech Teku (ETH) 1:09.04
- Anna Dibaba (ETH) 1:09.22
