Florence Jebet Kiplagat, the reigning world 21km record holder, won in her third-time stab at the Barcelona Half Marathon –an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, a race in which she was a late entrant.
Kiplagat, who ended Kenya’s 15-year-old gold drought at the 2009 world cross-country championships in Jordan, had been invited to the Spanish coastal city of Barcelona to watch Barcelona FC and Celta De Vigo tie, but decided to enter the race.
“I went to Barcelona for holiday and watch a football match between Barcelona FC and Celta De Vigo since I am a supporter of Barcelona and, in particular, Lionel Messi. So, I decided to run,” said Kiplagat, who was a football striker while a student at Sergoit Secondary in Keiyo North.
She, however, failed to lower her all-time 21km mark of 1:05.09, which she erased her own record of 1:05.12 in 2015.
In her debut at the Barcelona Half Marathon in 2014, Kiplagat shattered her neighbour Mary Keitany’s record of 1:05.50.
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“I cannot say that Barcelona Half Marathon is a special race for me but it is all about preparations for the event. Race organisers are my friends and they do excellent preparations, too. I always run in Barcelona as if I am on holiday,” said Kiplagat.
The victory in Barcelona has inspired her to go one better and even stalk the world marathon record held by England’s Paula Radcliffe in 2:15:25.
“This year I will not be targeting any world record but I will prepare for the 42km world record next year in Berlin Marathon. I will direct all my energies to making the team to the Olympic Games in Brazil this year and I may miss Berlin Marathon,” said Kiplagat, who was inspired by her role model and guardian Michael Kiplagat –a former Berlin Marathon winner.
