Rupp and Haylu Take Convincing Victories at Roma-Ostia Half Marathon

Olympic marathon bronze medallist Galen Rupp won the 44th edition of the Huawei Roma Ostia Half Marathon today, clocking a personal best of 59:47 at this IAAF Gold Label road race.

Rupp ran a commanding race to beat Kenyan Moses Kemei by 57 seconds. Justus Kangogo, who finished runner-up in last year’s edition in his personal best of 59:31, reached the podium for the second consecutive year in 1:01:02. Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Kipsang, completed the top-four crossing the finish line in 1:01:33.

Ethiopian Haftamenesh Haylu Tesfay took the honours in the women’s race in 1:09:02 beating her compatriot Dera Dida by 19 seconds. Kenyan Rebecca Chesir took third in 1:11:04 improving on her fourth place in last year’s edition.

Women’s Race

Chesir, Dida and Haylu took the lead in the early stages of the women’s race going through five kilometres in 16:04 and 10 in 32.37 with a gap of 47 seconds over Ethiopia’s Amane Shankule Beriso.

Haylu and Dida broke away from Chesir after the halfway mark, building a nine second gap by the 15th kilometre mark in 49:27. Haylu increased her lead over Dida by over 15 seconds in the final five kilometres before crossing the finish line in 1:09:02. Last January the Ethiopian runner finished fifth at the Dubai Marathon in her personal best of 2:20:13.