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After a disappointing display at the World Cross Country, Sabastian Sawe bounced back to win and break the course record at the Prague Half Marathon on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Sawe’s sensational time of 58 minutes and 24 seconds saw him emerge the winner just days after finishing seventh in Belgrade, Serbia, during the World Cross Country outing.

The long-distance runner also upgraded his personal best as he managed to beat a strong field that also had his ambitious compatriots. His personal best of 58:29 came at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon before he improved in the Czech Republic.

The 29-year-old broke the Prague course record of 58:47 that was set by Ethiopia’s Atsedu Tsegay.

During the race, Sawe showed high-level determination as he led at the 10km mark with stiff competition coming from Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba and Patrick Kabirech Mosin.

Kipchumba and Mosin finished in the second and third places with times of 60:02 and 60:15 respectively, which meant Kenya claimed the podium positions.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Gete Alemayehu finished first ahead of Kenya’s Jesca Chelang’at. The Ethiopian clocked 1:08:10 to finish three seconds ahead of the Chelang’at as Nigisti Haftu claimed third place in 1:09:30.

Prague 2024 in brief

Sawe, the reigning world half marathon winner, was among the elites that were entered for this season’s edition.

Sawe has won five of the seven half-marathons he’s run in the past and his slowest time is 59:23. This meant that the event record of 58:47 was definitely under threat, which of course the winner smashed.

The race, which has a prestigious Elite World Athletics label, also includes Martin Fiz, the evergreen Spanish marathon runner who won a world title in 1995 but is still running amazingly well aged 61 and aiming to win all of the Superhalfs events to add to the World Marathon Majors sweep of victories he enjoyed when he was in his 50s, according to the organisers.

Men’s 2024 results

Sabastian Sawe 58:23 (CR, PB)

Geoffrey Toroitich 1:00:01

Patrick Mosin 1:00:15

Women’s results

Gete Alemayehu 1:08:10

Jesca Chelangat 1:08:13

Nigsti Haftu 1:09:30