The fourth edition of the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon sees Kenya&rsquo;s Abraham Cheroben and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ayele Abshero start as favourites for the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Saturday (6).The pair, and the rest of the elite field, will be chasing Daniel Chebii&rsquo;s course record of 59:49, set in the inaugural race in 2012. The historic town in southern Bohemia will form a picturesque backdrop to a race where seven men will line up with personal bests of under 61 minutes. However, Cheroben is the fastest by a considerable margin. The 22-year-old ran the fastest half marathon in the world last year to win the Valencia title in 58:48. His recent form is also impressive, winning the Berlin 25 km for the second consecutive year, and running 1:12:31 despite strong headwinds. At the end of March he finished third in the Berlin half marathon with 59:49.Cheroben was eager to explore the town and part of Saturday&rsquo;s circuit in an early morning run on Friday, although his run was extended to 15km when he lost his bearings before a police motorcyclist set him back on course. He later reflected on the tough background which has been the foundation of his rise, and his hopes for further running success in his family.&ldquo;I am training in a camp in Eldoret and life there is hard but it means you can win when you train like that. In my family, I have three brothers and four sisters. One of my sisters is still in school, she is only little but likes to run and I encourage her.&rdquo; <h3>Abshero 2015 debut</h3> His rival Abshero will be contesting his first race of the year on his return from injury but the Ethiopian has an impressive pedigree in his career so far.Abshero won the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:23 on his debut at the distance in 2012 and his best for the half marathon is 59:42. Others to be reckoned with could include Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abera Kuma, who has a personal best of 1:00:19 and the Kenyan quartet of Benjamin Ngandu (best of 1:00:20), Thomas Lokomwa (1:00:33), Bernard Bett (1:00:42) and Festus Talam (1:00:57).The women&rsquo;s favourite should be Rose Chelimo, of Kenya. She is in top for over the half marathon distance this year, winning all her three races including the perennially competitive Lisbon event at the end of March in a personal best of 1:08:22. A similar display should put the current race record of 1:10:54, set by the Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tadelech Bekele also in 2012, under pressure. However, Chelimo will have to reckon with two rivals who have also broken 70 minutes for the distance: her fellow Kenyan Viola Jelagat (best of 1:09:27) and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Letebrhan Haylay (1:09:45).Britain&rsquo;s Susan Partridge continues her return to form after taking a break following her sixth place in last year&rsquo;s Commonwealth Games marathon. Her best for the half marathon is 1:10:32 and Saturday&rsquo;s race is a stepping stone towards Rio de Janeiro next year. &ldquo;The Olympics are the one major championship I haven&rsquo;t run so every race is aimed at building towards the qualifying time for the marathon,&rdquo; said the Briton. The race will be streamed live on Saturday from 1845CET on www.runczech.comOrganisers for the IAAF

The fourth edition of the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon sees Kenya’s Abraham Cheroben and Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero start as favourites for the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Saturday (6).

Cheroben and Abshero set to duel in the Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon

Rebecca Kangogo Chesire took almost half a minute off the Stramilano Half Marathon course record on Sunday (29), winning in 1:08:21. Fellow Kenyan Thomas James Lokomwa successfully defended his title in the men&rsquo;s race.Chesire, who set a marathon personal best of 2:25:22 in Dubai earlier this year, and Angela Jemesunde Tanui went through 10km in 32:23, well inside the course record pace.Defending champion and 2014 World Mountain Running Championships silver medallist Lucy Wambui Murigi followed in third place, eight seconds behind.Chesire then broke away, passing 15km in 48:27 and opening up a gap of 11 seconds over Tanui. Chesire&rsquo;s lead grew and grew over the final five kilometres, crossing the finish line in 1:08:21 to finish almost a minute ahead of Tanui and take more than two minutes off her PB.Chesire&rsquo;s winning time took 22 seconds off the previous course record, set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aberu Kebede in 2009, six months before taking bronze at that year&rsquo;s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.Tanui clocked 1:09:14, smashing her previous career best of 1:11:55, while Wambui completed the Kenyan podium sweep in third place with 1:11:19.In the men&rsquo;s race, pace-maker Victor Chumo, Thomas Lokomwa, Kennedy Kipyego and Robert Kirui Kipkoech set off from Piazza Castello in the Centre of Milan at a brisk pace. They went through 5km in 14:17 and 10km in 28:32 with Kipkoech having already fallen behind.Pace-making duties over, Chumo then dropped out, leaving Lokomwa and Kipyego out in front. They passed the 15km mark in 42:55 having slowed slightly, but they were still more than a minute ahead of Yassine Rachik, an Italian-based runner of Moroccan origin who has lived in Italy for 11 years. Lokomwa started pushing the pace after 15km. At 17km, reached in 48:42, Lokomwa had opened up a 15-metre lead, but it was short lived as Kipyego had caught up with his fellow Kenyan with two kilometres to go.In a sprint finish during the final kilometre, Lokomwa found the extra strength with 700 metres to go and crossed the finish-line in 1:00:33, holding off Kipyeko by six seconds. Both athletes improved their PBs by a significant margin.Rachik overtook Kipkoech in the second half and went on to finish third in 1:03:11, taking seven seconds off his PB.&ldquo;I am happy to win my second consecutive Stramilano,&rdquo; said Lokomwa. &ldquo;The pace-makers did a good job but I hoped to dip under the 60-minute barrier. With the prize money from this win, I want to help build a primary school in Kiambogo.&rdquo;No fewer than 6400 runners entered the half marathon while about 50,000 runners took to the street in the Central Piazza del Duomo to take part in the popular mass non-competitive 10km race on a sunny and warm Sunday morning.Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF<h3>Leading results</h3>Men 1 Thomas Lokomwa (KEN) 1:00:33 2 Kennedy Kipyeko (KEN) 1:00:39 3 Yassine Rachik (ITA) 1:03:11 4 Robert Kirui Kipkoech (KEN) 1:03:37 5 Domenico Ricatti (ITA) 1:05:27Women 1 Rebecca Kangogo Chesire (KEN) 1:08:21 2 Angela Tanui Jemesunde (KEN) 1:09:14 3 Lucy Murigi Wangui (KEN) 1:11:19 4 Hellen Jepkurgat (KEN) 1:11:24 5 Martha Akeno (KEN) 1:13:11

Rebecca Kangogo Chesire took almost half a minute off the Stramilano Half Marathon course record on Sunday (29), winning in 1:08:21. Fellow Kenyan Thomas James Lokomwa successfully defended his title in the men’s race.

Chesire breaks Stramilano course record as Lokomwa successfully defends

Thomas Lokomwa and Lucy Wambui made it a Kenyan double victory at the Stramilano Half Marathon for the second successive year, winning at the Italian race in 1:01:39 and 1:10:52 respectively on Sunday (23).).
Lokomwa&rsquo;s compatriot and 2013 winner Kiprop Limo was second across the line in the Arena Civica Stadium in 1:01:55 while Italy-based Ugandan Wilson Busienei was third in 1:02:08.
Kenyan pacemaker Joel Melly led the leading group at 10km, which contained Lokomwa, Businei and Limo.
They went through at halfway in 28:59 before Melly dropped out at 15km, leaving the leading trio to battle for the top three places as they passed 15km in 43:54.
Lokomwa and Businei dropped Limo in the 17th kilometre then, just after 18km, Lokomwa pulled away while Limo got his second wind and overtook Businei and the trio stayed in those positions all the way to the line.
The 26-year-old Lokomwa belongs to the Turkana tribe in a semi-desert region in the north western part of Kenya. 
&ldquo;It was a good race but it was not easy as it was affected by wind. It was important to win the race against good athletes,&rdquo; said Lokomwa.
In the women&rsquo;s race, four women were together until 14km when Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tilahun Biruk and Murigi pulled away from their compatriots, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sichala Deressa and Kenya&rsquo;s Hellen Jepkurgat.
Murigi then steadily left Biruk behind in the final three kilometres, carving out a decisive gap of 18 seconds, with Biruk coming home in 1:11:10.
&ldquo;I am happy because I set my personal best. The wind affected my race. I am happy to score a double as the men&rsquo;s winner Lokomwa is my training partner,&rdquo; said Murigi
About 6000 runners took part in the half marathon itself while about 50,000 runners took to the streets for the popular non-competitive Stramilano mass race.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF

Thomas Lokomwa and Lucy Wambui made it a Kenyan double victory at the Stramilano Half Marathon for the second successive year, winning at the Italian race in 1:01:39 and 1:10:52 respectively on Sunday (23).

Cheroben and Abshero set to duel in the Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon

Chesire breaks Stramilano course record as Lokomwa successfully defends

Lokomwa and Wambui continue Kenyan domination at Stramilano Half Marathon