UK Sport

Radcliffe takes title for second time

Rob Burgess 08 October 2001

GREAT BRITAIN’S Paula Radcliffe successfully defended her title at the 10th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Bristol yesterday.

The 27-year-old led from the start, shaking off the challenge of Great North Run winner Susan Chepkemei after nine miles to pull away in the last quarter of the race. Radcliffe crossed the line in 66min 47 sec, smashing her old European record by more than 20 seconds and finishing just four seconds outside the current world record.

Kenyan Chepkemei trailed home in second place, 49 seconds adrift, with Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere third.

A delighted Radcliffe, who won the title for the first time in Mexico last year, said afterwards: "Because I was the defending champion and because of the crowd and all the support they gave me, I couldn't not win it. I planned to feel things out on the first lap. Adere was the one worry I had, so I pushed it on and still felt good so I went on."

With Liz Yelling finishing 23rd and Annie Emmerson 31st, the British women’s team finished 4th in the overall team standings. Kenya won the title ahead of Japan and Ethiopia.

IN THE men’s race, Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie - the world record holder and Olympic champion over 10,000m – won the World Half Marathon title at his first attempt. The 28-year-old led going into the final mile and out-kicked compatriot Tesfaye Jifar in the last 150 metres to underline his potential over the longer distance.

Gebrselassie narrowly failed to break the one-hour barrier, finishing in 60min 03sec, one second clear of Jifar. John Yundra of Tanzania finished third, eight seconds further back.

With Tola Tesfaye finishing fifth, Ethiopia won the team title for the first time, having finished runners-up for the last two years.

The British men’s team finished 11th, with Matthew O’Dowd the highest placed individual finisher in 21st place.

The World Half Marathon Championships in Bristol received Lottery funding of up to £85,000 from UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme.

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