Benson Kiplangat at the 2021 World U-20 championships/ HANDOUT 

‎Benson Kiplangat to make half marathon debut in Berlin

Benson Kiplangat, the 2021 World U-20 5,000m champion, is set to make his half marathon debut on March 29 in Berlin.
Kiplangat first rose to global prominence at the World Athletics U-20 Championships, winning the 5,000m in 13:20.37, marking him as one of Kenya’s brightest prospects.
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Although inexperienced over the longer road distance, he carries proven speed on the tarmac, highlighted by his 2023 victory at the Ibiza 10km in Spain, where he clocked 27:18, leading a Kenyan podium sweep.
The 22-year-old arrives in Berlin seeking redemption after a challenging 2025 season.
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He opened the year with seventh place at the Shanghai Diamond League over 5,000m in 13:09.90, behind Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, Kuma Girma, and Mezgebu Sime, who completed the podium in sub-13:00 times.
He followed that with a sixth-place finish over 10,000m at the Prefontaine Classic in 26:50.00 and failed to finish the 25-lap race at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
He rounded off the year with a fifth-place finish at the 15km Nijmegen road race in 42:34, behind Victor Kipruto, Alex Matata, and Tanzania’s Benjamin Ratsim.
Kiplangat will face a stern test in Berlin, going head-to-head with Ethiopia’s Bereket Nega, the reigning Riyadh half marathon champion, ensuring the debutant is thrown straight into elite competition.
In the women’s race, Kenya’s Veronica Loleo aims to continue her momentum from a strong 2025 season.
She recorded victories at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K (38:02), the Boilermaker 15K (49:37), and the Buenos Aires Half Marathon (1:06:58), before finishing third at the Valencia Half Marathon in 1:05:46 behind Agnes Ng’etich and Fotyen Tesfay.
Loleo will face Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw, the reigning Copenhagen Half Marathon champion, who arrives in sharp form after placing second at the Valencia 10K in 29:29.
The Berlin event promises an intense debut for Kiplangat and a competitive field in both the men’s and women’s races.