Ruben Querinjean extended his already career-best track season into the road racing season, with a surprising medal performance at the World Athletics Road Running Championships, held 19-20 September in Copenhagen.
Without a track mile performance on his resume yet, and with a modest road mile personal best of 4:02.3, Luxembourg-native Querinjean was not among the presumed contenders when toeing the starting line in Copenhagen on 19 September. But after a controlled start to the race, he advanced steadily through the large pack of 58 runners, making contact with the top-10 group about halfway through the race. From this point on, Querinjean continued to close-in on the front runners, with his final surge moving him into 3rd at the finish in a new national record time of 3:52.77, behind champion Robert Farken of Germany (3:51.80) and runner-up Yared Nuguse of the USA (3:52.33). This was Querinjean’s first-ever global championship medal, in a season where he earned the bronze medal in the 3000m Steeplechase at the European Championships in Budapest, as well as improved his own 3000m SC national record to 8:05.36 at the Silesia Diamond League meeting.
Another Golazo athlete competing in the men’s Mile in Copenhagen was Tshepo Tshite of South Africa, who finished in 10th place with a personal best time of 3:55.66.