In debut, Wolde sets course record at Egmond Half Marathon
Strong half marathon debut for Dawit Wolde in Egmond aan Zee (Orange Pictures)
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9 January 2012 - Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands - Ethiopian Dawit Wolde clocked a new course record in the 40th edition of the PWN Egmond Half Marathon on Sunday (8).
Wolde covered the 21.1Km over the beach along the North Sea and back through the dunes to Egmond aan Zee in 1:00:46, clipping 33 seconds off the previous course record set by Dutchman Greg van Hest in 1999. The women's race was won by Wolde's compatriot Meseret Haily in 1:11:18.
Although The Netherlands was plagued by storms and heavy winds in the days before the race, conditions on race day were very good. A wind from the northwest helped the runners on the beach where the first half of the course is. Moreover the sand along the shoreline was hard.
From the start on the Boulevard of this seaside village the men set a fast pace. A leading group consisting of Wolde, Kenyans Gideon Kipketer and Wilfred Kirwa, Samuel Tsegay (ERI) and Assefa Belete (ETH) was formed. Tsegay was mostly pressing the pace and Kirwa was the first to lose contact. The other four left the beach after 10.5Km in 29:50. Through the dunes the group stayed together until 18 kilometres. On the famous Bloedweg (Bloodway) Wolde, running his first Half Marathon, accelerated and broke away for his very fast last 3000 metres. He finally took seventeen seconds on his nearest opponent Gideon Kipketer and 23 on Samuel Tsegay. Not only did Wolde, a former 1500m runner, break the course record but so did the second and third place finishers.
“This is great for me,” said a thrilled Wolde. “I never expected it should go so well to day.”
The thousands of spectators cheered for Dutch runners Khalid Choukoud and Michel Butter who finished sixth and seventh in the same time - 1:03:13 - both setting personal bests. The young, very promising Jesper van der Wielen finished eighth in 1:03:20, also a personal best.
The women's race, which started before the men's, had nearly the same scenario. A group of four with Haily, Dutchwoman Hilde Kibet and Kenyans Florence Kiplagat and Flomena Chepchirchir, left the beach after 35:10 and passed the 15Km marker in 50:43. A kilometre later the leading women were overtaken by the leading men. Haily and Kiplagat tried to follow the men but did not succeed. The two leaders stayed together until the final 400 metres. Haily won in 1:11:18 clocking the sixth fastest time ever run in Egmond. Pre-race favourite Kiplagat finished three seconds back. Hilda Kibet took third place in 1:11:45.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Leading Results:
MEN -
1. Dawit Wolde, ETH 1:00:46 CR - splits: 10,5 km 29:50; 15 kms 43:06
2. Gideon Kipketer, KEN 1:01:03
3. Samuel Tsegay, ERI 1:01:09
4. Assefa Belete, ETH 1:02:12
5. Wilfred Kirwa, KEN 1:02:34
6. Khalid Choukoud, NED 1:03:13
7. Michel Butter, NED 1:03:13 correct
8. Jesper van der Wielen, NED 1:03:20
9. Nicholas Kipkemboi, KEN 1:03:26
10. Abdi Nageeye, NED 1:04:01
11. Benjamin Barbier, BEL 1:04:06
12. Thomas Poesiat, NED 1:04:07
13. Ronald Schroer, NED 1:04:33
14. Mohammed Ali Mohamed, MAR 1:05:30
15. Stefan Vanden Broeck, BEL 1:05:39
16. Stijn Fincioen, BEL 1:05:39 correct
17. Olfert Molenhuis, NED 1:05:41
18. Lander van Droogenbroeck, BEL 1:06:12
19. Rens Dekkers, NED 1:06:13
20: Noureddine Htaibi, MAR 1:06:14
21. Marco Gielen, NED 1:06:16
22. Guy Fays, BEL 1:06:17
23. Erik Negerman, NED 1:06:18
24. Edwin de Vries, NED 1:06:24
25, Willem van Schuerbeeck, BEL 1.06:34
26. Michael Brandenbourg, BEL 1:06:41
27. Abdelhadi El Hachimi, MAR 1:06:53
28. Jeroen van Erp, NED 1:06:56
29. Koen Raymaekers, NED 1:07:25
30. Jamal Baligha, MAR 1:07:34
WOMEN -
1. Meseret Haily, ETH 1:11:18 - splits: 10,5 kms 35:10; 15 kms 50:42
2. Florence Kiplagat, KEN 1:11:21
3. Hilda Kibet, NED 1:11:45
4. Flomena Chepchirchir, KEN 1:11:48
5. Soumiya Labai, MAR 1:12:34
6. Ilse Pol, NED 1:13:27
7. Heleen Plaatzer, NED 1:13:29
8. Andrea Deelsstra, NED 1:13:37
9. Miranda Boonstra, NED 1:15:30
10. Masila Ndungu, KEN 1:15:45
11. Helen Hofstede, NED 1:16:11
12. Stefanie Bouma, NED 1:16:57
13. Tinka Uphoff, GER 1:17:22
14. Merel de Knegt, NED 1:17:26
15. Inge de Jong, NED 1:17:43
16. Claudia van Rijn, NED 1:17:52
17. Mariska Kramer, NED 1:18:11
18. Collette Fagan, GBR 1:18:27
19. Miriam van Reijen, NED 1:19:59
20. Inge van Bergen , NED 1:20:01
