by Mutwiri Mutuota and Agencies

In a show of sheer dominance, Mary Keitany went one better than Udine, Italy two years ago when she produced a devastating front running display to claim the women’s IAAF World Half Marathon (WHM) title in Birmingham.

It was also a day that Samuel Wanjiru won the Chicago Marathon in a course record time of 2:05.41 and in the process earning about Sh70m. (see story FP2)

In Birmigham, Philes Ongori ensured the first ever-Kenyan 1-2 at the women’s race of the WHM while the best efforts of Bernard Kipyego, junior silver medallist from Mombasa 2007 World Cross, could not stop Eritrean Zersenay Tadese from making history as the first male to win four individual gold medals at the premier 21km event.

Keitany, the mother of one who resumed action in May following marriage to fellow athlete Charles Koech in the back end of 2007, clearly found the course and light drizzle to her liking as she stayed ahead of world record pace, averaging just over three minutes per kilometre. Their son, Jared Kipchumba was welcomed to the world on June 22 last year.

Kenya’s Mary Keitany (right) celebrates winning the women’s IAAF World Half Marathon with Philes Moora Ongori, who finished second in Birmingham, England on Sunday. Photos: AP

Her time shattered her personal best by 12 seconds, as the 27-year old world leader finally fulfilled her long predicted promise.

It was an impressive lone running performance and it is just a matter of conjecture how three-time winners Kiplagat and Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe would have fared had injury and illness not sidelined them.

Runners from the dominant Kenyan and Ethiopian teams sprung off the start-line and had opened up a decisive advantage over their rivals by the end of the first mile.

With the opening miles downhill, the pace was stiff and the leading group fractured again when Keitany and Ethiopian youngster Aberu Kebebe kicked clear.

Keitany then stamped her authority on an uphill section of the course and had opened up a 40-second advantage over Kebebe by 15km.

Ongori overhauled Kebebe (1:07:39) in the closing metres to take individual silver in a personal best of 1:07:38 a performance that helped Kenya comprehensively secure the team title, ahead of Ethiopia and Russia.

Caroline Cheptanui clocked 1:08:16, a career best for fourth with Filomena Cheyech (1:09:44) in ninth as Armed Forces runner, Peninah Arusei finished 19th in 1:11:10.

Kenya took the team title in a cumulative time 3:22:30.

In the men’s race, Tadese secured his place in the pantheon of distance running as he won his fourth consecutive title by staging a run of trademark tactical brilliance, controlling the pace early on before slamming down the accelerator to break the resolve of his rivals after 13km.

His winning time of 59:35 rewrote his own championship record and the former world cross-country champion — who won 10,000m silver at the World Championships in Berlin earlier this year — insists he is now ready to make the step up to full marathons.

The Eritrean lowered the previous record of 59:56 he shared with 1997 winner Shem Kororia by a massive 21 seconds.

Kipyego sprinted clear of American Dathan Ritzenheim to claim silver in 59:59, a second better than his rival to help his country take the team title.

Former Stanchart Nairobi Marathon champion and first man to run 2:06 on Kenyan soil, Wilson Kipsang was fourth in 1:00:08 with namesake Wilson Kwambai (1:00:59) and Kiplimo Kimutai (1:01:31) coming in sixth and seventh.