Cardiff Half Marathon Race Brochure 2017 2017 | Page 24

Elinor Kirk Violah Jepchumba ELITE RACE: ONES TO WATCH The Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon was awarded a coveted IAAF Silver Road Race Label earlier this year, meaning it has officially been recognised as one of the world’s leading road races by the world’s governing body of athletics. It joins the ranks of the London Marathon – the only event to hold a Gold Label in the UK, as it becomes Britain’s only Silver Label event. The race will again host the Welsh Half Marathon Championships, but you can expect to see some of the world’s best athletes competing. WOMEN UK Andrew Davies: Great Britain & Northern Ireland, (Stockport Harriers) PB: 1:05:18 UK Elinor Kirk: Great Britain & Northern Ireland (Swansea Harriers) PB: 1:14:18 Elinor finished 9th at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow over 10,000m. She is the second fastest Welsh Athlete of all time over 10,000m and fifth fastest over 5,000m. Elinor was the 2015 British Universities Champion over 3,000m and has scored wins on the roads at the Trafford 10k and at the Telford 10k. Andrew competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games Marathon and has gained the qualification standard for the 2017 Games in the Gold Coast. He has also been selected to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the 2017 IAAF World Championships Marathon in London. Rest of World Hiskel Tewelde: Eritrea PB: 1:00:29 Hiskel has represented Eritrea at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janerio. He finished 17th at the IAAF Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships and claimed a bronze medal in the team category. In January 2017 he was third at the Houston Half Marathon. Rest of World Violah Jepchumba: Kenya PB: 1:05:22 Violah won the 2016 Cardiff University/ Cardiff Half Marathon setting a new course record of 1:08:10. The Kenyan athlete is the fifth fastest of all time over half marathon distance and the second fastest over 10km. She has recorded high profile wins at the 2016 Prague Half Marathon, the 2016 Istanbul Half Marathon and at the prestigious Discovery Kenya Cross Country. CARDIFF UNIVERSITY/CARDIFF HALF MARATHON 2017 Men: Geoffrey Kamworor (59:10) 2016 Women: Peres Jepchirchir (1:07:31) 2016 COURSE RECORDS RECORD BREAKERS The fastest times ever recorded on our course are set to be beaten again this year, with a stronger than ever elite field due to take part - but it’s not just the professional athletes who will be breaking records at the 2017 Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon. 25,000 runners are registered to take part this year – the highest number in our fourteen-year history – and we want to break even more records if we can! In 2016 we saw some incredible record attempts: Mike Kallenburg Faste st half marathon dressed as a superhero New world record in 69:33 Mike was closely followed by friend Carwyn Jones who was dressed as Batman. Keeping up with the Jones’ Kevin Summerhayes Fastest half marathon dressed as a fireman New world record in 1:48:23 Kevin will be joined by an army of firefighters attempting to break a host of world records over the half marathon weekend this year, raising money for the Firefighters Charity. Sir Runalot Fastest half marathon dressed in a suit of armour Unsuccessful Tudor Jones, a.k.a Sir Runalot will be attempting to break the 3:30 record again in 2017. Unsurprisingly, Wales’ largest road race has more runners with the surname Jones than any other. 675 finished the race in 2016. Can we beat this record in 2017? More incredible runners are attempting to break world records at the 2017 race, so stay tuned to see how they get on! If you are attempting a record yourself (even if just a personal one) we want to hear about it! Email cardiffhalfmarathon@ run4wales.org and let us know all about it. OFFICIAL RACE BROCHURE MEN Women: Viola Jepchumba (1:08:10) 2016 Hiskel Tewelde IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships Andrew Davies Men: Shadrack Korir (1:00:51) 2016 24 Cardiff Half Marathon 25