The reigning World Half Marathon Champion, Sabastian Kimaru Sawe will be the man to watch at the 25th edition of the Prague Half Marathon slated for April 06, 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic.
The 29 year-old who only managed a seventh-place finish at the just concluded World Athletics Cross Country Championships, in Serbia, has since dusted himself and will aim high as he depends on his road form of 58:29 that he got last year at the Valencia Half Marathon, where he finished in fifth place.
Sawe will have to get past the second fastest athlete on paper, the double Malaga Half Marathon Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba who holds a time best of59:13. Kipchumba who has so far won three races is a member of the ASICS Chojo Project in Kaptagat and is coached by Peter Bii.
Sawe and Kipchumba will also have a difficult time as they will face their compatriot Patrick Kabirech Mosin, the winner of the Lille Half Marathon and has the third fastest time on the entry list of 59:31.
All-African Games Half marathon fifth place finisher Haftamu Abadi Gebresilase of Ethiopia, who has a career highlight so far when he set the U20 world lead time of 27:48 in Corrida Internationale de Langueux and Gideon Kiprotich Rop from Kenya who finished eight at the World Cross Country championships, will also be fighting for the top prize as they both come to this race with life time bests of 1:00.27 and 1:00.28.
Another title contender and the man who has an idea of how the course looks like, is the former Porto Half Marathon champion, Maxwell Kortek Rotich from Uganda who will also be seeking for a podium place as he carries a personal best of 1:00.06 that he got last year at this event, where he was the runner up.
The organisers have assembled a strong elite team to try and chase the race course record of 58:47, set seven years ago by Ethiopia’s Atsedu Tsegay.
LEADING TIME
21KM MEN
- Sabastian Kimaru Sawe (KEN) 58:29
- Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 59:13
- Patrick Kabirech Mosin (KEN) 59:31
- Maxwell Kortek Rotich (UGA) 1:00.06
- Haftamu Abadi Gebresilase (ETH) 1:00.27
- Gideon Kiprotich Rop (KEN) 1:00.28
