Selection race in Addis Ababa for World Half Marathon Championships

Addis Ababa selection race
Wed 23 September 2020

Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Hailemaryam Kiros were victorious over 15km in Addis Ababa on 23 September in a race that the Ethiopian Federation will use as a form guide when selecting its team for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships to be held on 17 October in Gdynia (POL).

Most athletes in this race hadn’t competed since the pandemic started. Yalemzerf had run 1:06:35 to finish fifth at the Ras al Khaimah Half Marathon on 21 February. She held off world half marathon champion Netsanet Gudeta to win by 3 seconds. Zeineba Yimer, who hadn’t raced since clocking 2:19:46 on her marathon debut in Valencia in December last year, finished third in 50:30, nine seconds ahead of Ababel Yeshaneh, who earlier this year set a world half marathon record of 1:04:31.

Hailemaryam Kiros was a surprise winner of the men’s race. He finished in 42:59 – four seconds ahead of runner-up Andamlak Belihu, the two-time Delhi Half Marathon winner. Amedework Walelegn followed just a stride behind Belihu. Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese and 2017 Berlin Marathon runner-up Guye Adola were next to finish.