A strong contingent of Kenyan athletes led by Nobert Kipkoech Kigen will compete in the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon, a prestigious World Athletics Platinum Label road race, in the Thai city of Chonburi on Sunday.
The Kenyans will face a tough challenge from Ethiopia's Seifu Tura, who is the fastest man in the field with a personal best (PB) of 58:36 in the half marathon. Tura, who won the Chicago Marathon in 2021, is also a formidable marathoner with a PB of 2:04:29.
Kigen, who has a half marathon PB of 59:42, is hoping to end his long absence from the international scene with a good performance. He last raced in the 2022 Amsterdam Marathon, where he finished seventh in 2:05:32.
Another Kenyan, Amos Kipruto, who won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in the marathon, is also aiming to improve his half marathon PB of 1:00:24. He ran his fastest marathon of 2:03:13 in Tokyo last year.
Enock Onchari, who clocked a marathon PB of 2:05:47 in Seville earlier this year, will make his debut in the half marathon distance. He is confident of his ability to adapt to the shorter race.
The Kenyan trio will try to break the course record of 1:01:56, set by compatriot Josphat Kemei last year. They will also have to contend with other strong runners from Ethiopia, Uganda, Bahrain and Thailand.
The Bangsaen21 Half Marathon, which is celebrating its 15th edition this year, is one of the most popular and scenic road races in Asia. It attracts thousands of runners from around the world, who enjoy the beautiful views of the Bangsaen beach and the challenging course that features several hills and turns.
