Double World Road race record holder Leonard Komon wins Berlin Half Marathon, misses record

By JOSEPH NGURE and IAAF

Double World Road race record holder Patrick Leonard Komon registered the fastest time by a debutant after chalking 59:14 during the 34th Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday but missed the World record mark.

Komon, 26, who boasts of World records in 10 and 15 kilometres, achieved the feat after out-running compatriot Abraham Cheroben in a sprint finish.

Komon missed the world record of 58:23, set by Eritrean Zersanay Tadese, which he had promised to attack but still had plenty to celebrate since his time was the best ever by a debutant at the distance, improving the previous best of 59:20, set by fellow Kenyan, Moses Mosop, in Milan four years ago by six seconds.

Competing against a tailwind during the first 10km, a fast race quickly gained momentum with the leading group passing the 5 km mark in 13:39.

The pace was dictated by the quartet of pacemaker Vincent Rono and compatriots Komon, Cheroben and Daniel Chebii, crossing the 10km point in 27:40.

With this split time, the group was on time for a world record but Rono’s pacing duties soon ended and when the group of three covered 11km, they ran into a head wind for most of the remaining distance.

 Chebii could no longer stay with his rivals after 12km but Cheroben showed great courage and the training partner of Komon, with a personal best of 1:00:38 before the race, decided to take the lead.

“I have to thank him for this, because it really helped me,” said Komon.

However, the pace still dropped and the world record was obviously out of reach once the two leaders passed the 15km point in 41:44. In the closing kilometres, it was victory against the records.

In a sprint finish, Komon, who is the world record holder at 10km and 15km on the roads, just edged out Cheroben although both men were given the same time of 59:14. The course record remains 58:56, set by Patrick Makau in 2007.

“I am happy with my performance in my first race. Of course, I ran longer distances in training, but there is always a difference between training and competition. 

“I thought I would be able to run under 59 minutes. It was a challenge, but at the end there was something missing. But I know what to do and will try to run such a time in my next half marathon,” added Komon.

Komon led a cast of 11 Kenyans – Cheroben, Richard Mengich and Sylas Kimutai who had a photo – finished for third and fourth at 1:00:17. Chebii followed the leading quartet home in fifth place with 1:00:40.

In women, Ethiopia’s Tadelech Bekele won the race in 1:10:05, pulling away from Kenya’s Agnes Mutune with barely two kilometres to go.

Bekele and Mutune led exchanged the lead but the Ethiopian won at the end. Mutune was second in 1:10:13.