Lelisa Desisa wins Rak Half Marathon

Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa won the 2014 RAK Half Marathon in 59:36, with a record eight men coming home under the hour in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, on Friday morning (14).

It was Desisa’s second fastest time of his career and just six seconds away from the 2013 IAAF World Championships marathon silver medallist’s best time, set in the 2011 New Delhi race.

Desisa, the 2013 Boston Marathon champion who has already announced that he will defend that title in April, came home three seconds in front of Eritrea’s Nguse Amlosom, who set a personal best by just over a minute.

In a thrilling race at the sharp end, with the first eight finishers crossing the line within 20 seconds of each other, the Kenyan quartet of Wilson Kiprop, Bernard Koech, Bernard Kipyego and Micah Kogo followed the leading pair home in 59:45, 59:46, 59:47 and 59:49 respectively.

Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lelisa and Kenya’s Paul Longyangata the other men to finish inside the hour, an unprecedented feat in a half marathon, and were seventh and eighth in 59:51 and 59:54. Read more at IAAF.org