FILE PHOTO: Athletics – World Athletics Championships – Doha 2019 – Men’s 10,000 Metres Final – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar – October 6, 2019 Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto celebrates winning bronze REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
(Reuters) – Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto set a new 10km road world record as compatriot Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja in Spain on Sunday.
World 10,000m bronze medalist Kipruto clocked 26 minutes 24 seconds to shave 14 seconds off the yet-to-be-ratified mark set by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei six weeks ago at a different course in the same city.
The 20-year-old also bettered the 5km road world record by reaching the halfway mark of the World Athletics Gold Label event in 13:18.
He went even faster in the second half, clocking 13:06 but athletics’ governing body said in a statement that the latter effort would not be eligible for ratification.
Benard Kimeli made it a one-two for Kenya, coming second in 27:12 and Switzerland’s Julien Wanders was third in a new European record of 27:13.
Chepkirui’s time was initially reported as 29:42, which would have meant she bettered fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei’s record set in Prague three years ago.
However, her official time was later confirmed as 29:46, making her the second fastest woman ever.
Rosemary Wanjiru and Norah Jeruto clocked identical times of 29:51 to finish behind Chepkirui and move to joint third on the world all-time list.
It was the first time three women finished had a 10km road race inside 30 minutes.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond