Dawit Wolde sets new course record at Egmond Half Marathon

Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands – Dawit Wolde of Ethiopia clocked a new course record in the 40th edition of the PWN Egmond Half Marathon here on Sunday.

Not only did Wolde, a former 1500m runner, break the course record but so did Gideon Kipketer (Kenya) and Samuel Tsegay (Eritrea), who were second and third place finishers.

Wolde covered the 21.1Km over the beach along the North Sea and back through the dunes to Egmond aan Zee in 1:00:46, clipping 33 seconds off the previous course record set by Dutchman Greg van Hest in 1999.

Fellow compatriot Assefa Belete finished fourth.

The women’s race was also won by an Ethiopian athlete, Meseret Haile, who finished first in 1:11:18.

Women’s Race

The women’s race, which started before the men’s, had nearly the same scenario. A group of four with Haily, Dutchwoman Hilde Kibet and Kenyans Florence Kiplagat and Flomena Chepchirchir, left the beach after 35:10 and passed the 15Km marker in 50:43. A kilometre later the leading women were overtaken by the leading men. Haily and Kiplagat tried to follow the men but did not succeed.

The two leaders stayed together until the final 400 metres. Haily won in 1:11:18 clocking the sixth fastest time ever run in Egmond. Pre-race favourite Kiplagat finished three seconds back. Hilda Kibet took third place in 1:11:45.

Leading Results:

MEN –

1. Dawit Wolde, ETH               1:00:46

2. Gideon Kipketer, KEN           1:01:03

3. Samuel Tsegay, ERI             1:01:09

4. Assefa Belete, ETH             1:02:12

5. Wilfred Kirwa, KEN             1:02:34

WOMEN –

1. Meseret Haile, Ethiopia    1:11:18

2. Florence Kiplagat, KEN     1:11:21

3. Hilda Kibet, NED           1:11:45