Report05 Feb 2017


Wambua and Muriuki achieve Kenyan double at Baghdad International Half Marathon

FacebookTwitterEmail

Bernard Wambua wins the Baghdad International Half Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)

The second Baghdad International Half Marathon attracted thousands of runners from near and far on Saturday (4).

Held against the backdrop of the Abbas Ibn Firnas monument near Baghdad International Airport, no fewer than 24 countries from Asia, Africa and Europe were represented in the race. The elite men ran the half-marathon distance, the elite women contested 8km and the mass field ran 3km, attracting 4300 people from all walks of life: men and women, young and old.

Promoting love and peace, the goals of the race are to deliver a message to the world that Iraq loves life, and to show that Iraq is capable of organising a race without any security issues.

Kenya’s Bernard Wambua and Shelmith Muriuki were the winners of the men’s and women’s races respectively, clocking times of 1:04:30 and 26:36.

During the evening after the race, a concert was held at the Hunting Social Club, where prizes and gifts were distributed to the top 10 finishers in each of the elite races.

IAAF

Leading results

Men (half marathon)
1 Bernard Wambua (KEN) 1:04:30
2 Tesfai Ghebrehiwet (ERI) 1:04:39
3 El Mehdi Al Bannouri (MAR) 1:04:42
4 Sammy Kiprop Kiptoo (KEN) 1:04:52
5 Gopi Thonakal Babu (IND) 1:04:55

Women (8km)
1 Shelmith Muriuki (KEN) 26:36
2 Nancy Chepkurui (KEN) 26:56
3 Rachael Chebet (UGA) 26:58
4 Shinetsegseg Chuluunkhuu (MGL) 27:24
5 Birtukan Hirpe (ETH) 28:30

Loading...