Erick Kiplangat wins the men's race at the Uasin Gishu Half Marathon/ HANDOUTErick Kiplangat and Milicent Jelimo were in imperious form at the fourth edition of the Betika Uasin Gishu Half Marathon held in Eldoret on Sunday, storming to victory in the men’s and women’s races respectively.
Kiplangat timed 1:01:07 to claim the men’s crown, edging Kenneth Kiprono, who crossed the finish line second in 1:01:14.
Gilbert Kipkosgei completed the podium in 1:01:22, while Stephen Chebon and John Mwaniki finished fourth and fifth in 1:01:25 and 1:01:26 respectively.
Speaking after the race, Kiplangat was delighted with his performance and the way he executed his race plan. “I am happy to have won today. This was my first time participating in the Uasin Gishu Half Marathon, and I am delighted to get the win.”
However, Kiplangat admitted that he had to dig deep to overcome a strong field, with the race proving a stern test from start to finish. “The race today was not easy because there were a lot of strong athletes.”
The 23-year-old was forced to deploy a tactical sit-and-wait approach, conserving energy before unleashing his decisive kick in the closing stages to secure victory.
“I started from the back, then after 4km I went ahead and pushed myself with the leading pack. I then decided to kick in the final meters to secure the win,” he said.
Kiplangat noted that getting his tactics right was crucial, as he sought to avoid burning himself out too early in the race. “The leading pack was very strong, so I had to preserve energy and be patient before kicking for the win.”
In the women’s race, Jelimo produced a strong finish to cross the line first in 1:10:25, narrowly holding off Tabitha Njeri, who finished second in 1:10:27. Viola Munerya Chemos completed the podium after clocking 1:11:03.
Jelimo, competing at the Uasin Gishu Half Marathon for the second time, was pleased that her race strategy paid dividends as she bounced back from her previous outing.
“This was my second time competing in this race, and I am happy to have won it this time around after finishing seventh in 2024. My strategy worked perfectly. I am in fine form coming off a win in the Vodafone Prague Marathon in May.”
The victory saw both winners walk away with Sh300,000, while second place pocketed Sh200,000. The third-place finishers received Sh100,000. Fourth, fifth and sixth-place finishers received Sh50,000, Sh40,000, and Sh30,000, respectively, as athletes finishing seventh to tenth each received Sh20,000.
