RAK Half Marathon: Ababel Yeshaneh breaks world record.

New Delhi, Feb 21(HS): Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh smashed the world record, clocking 1:04:31 to win the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Friday.

Marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei was a distant short, clocking 1:04:49. But her time was also inside the previous world record of 1:04:51, set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in Valencia in 2017.

Brigid leads the first half, taking the field through five kilometers in 15:07 and 10 kilometers in 30:18. By this point, only Yeshaneh was able to stick with the Kenyan as Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yelahun led the chase pack some 11 seconds behind.

Yeshaneh crossed the line in 1:04:31 to take 20 seconds off the world record while Kosgei followed in a Kenyan record of 1:04:49. Rosemary Wanjiru came through to take third place in 1:05:34 and the next five women over the line finished within 67 minutes.

After breaking the world record, Yeshaneh said, “I didn’t imagine the result. I am a world record holder.”