Medio Marathon Valencia, an IAAF silver label road race event, was the year’s second attempt at the half marathon distance for both Abraham Cheroben and Kenneth Kiprop Kipkemoi, who had established themselves among the world’s half marathon elite in March (Cheroben 59:14 at Vattenfall Berlin and Kipkemoi 1:00:29 at IAAF Half Mar. World Championships in Copenhagen). In Valencia, Cheroben and Kipkemoi kept each other company in the front pack through splits of 13:43 (5 km), 27:40 (10 km), and 41:53 (15 km), before Cheroben pulled away for the victory in a new personal best and ’14 world leading 58:48, followed by Kipkemoi, who also set a new personal best and ’14 world no. 2 time of 59:01. These marks put Cheroben and Kipkemoi at no. 5 and no. 14, respectively, on the half marathon all-time world chart.
Other noteworthy road action by Golazo-managed international athletes in October included Betsy Saina‘s 4th place at the Boston Half Marathon on 12-October (1:09:27 personal best); Alice Kimutai‘s 5th place in Valencia (1:10:38); Elijah Kemboi‘s 5th place in Marathon Amsterdam on 19-October (2:09:21); and Martin Kosgei‘s victory in Marathon Lyon on 5-October (2:11:52).
