Sports

Obiri targets fast time at RAK to crown her half marathon debut

Friday, January 29th, 2021 00:00 | By
Hellen Obiri. Photo/PD/FILE

Nairobi, Thursday

Hellen Obiri, the reigning world 5,000m champion, aims to run faster as she makes her half marathon debut at the 2021 Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Half Marathon, Al Marjan Island, on February 19.

 Obiri also holds the Olympic silver medal in 5,000m from the 2016 Olympics and is the former world indoor and outdoor champion in 3,000m and 5,000m.

She ran her first road race in December 2020 in Barcelona, winning the 10km race in 30.53.

“I don’t know what is in store for me in RAK, but I will be glad to post good personal best in half marathon on my debut,” Obiri told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Obiri, 31, is the sixth fastest runner in the 5,000m track with a time of 14.18.37 and hopes to fully transit to marathons after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games.

“My aim is to win an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo before concentrating on marathons in the future.

Gold medal in Olympics will mean I have accomplished winning a gold medal in all major championships and that is my target,” said Obiri, who trains in Ngong town in the outskirts of the capital Nairobi. 

At the 2019 World Cross Country in Aarhus, Denmark, Obiri won the gold medal, becoming the first woman to win outdoors, indoors and cross-country individual titles at the senior level to emulate Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.

 Meanwhile, world half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie will take on the former world record holder Geoffrey Kamworor and world champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon.

Kamworor who is on a comeback trail after a motorbike accident in June 2020 that left him with head and ankle injuries, will be using the police cross country championships on Friday to prepare for his upcoming competitions.  - Xinhua

More on Sports


ADVERTISEMENT