WRRC: Kenyan men chasing a record-extending 14th world half marathon title in Riga

Kenya has won the men’s individual half marathon title 13 times in 24 previous editions and they hold strong claims of taking that tally to 14 on Sunday at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.

The country has won the men's team title 16 times, with a 17th looking likely given the strength in this year’s ranks. 

Kenya boasts a trio of sub-59-minute men in Benard Kibet, Charles Kipkurui Langat and Sabastian Kimaru Sawe, while their next man, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, is a 59:04 performer. 

Kibet smashed his PB to clock 58:45 when winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February and he went on to finish fifth in the 10,000m in Budapest last month, while Langat ran his PB of 58:53 to win in Barcelona in February.

Ethiopia is sure to produce a strong showing, with Jemal Yimer Mekonnen the quickest in their ranks. His PB of 58:33 dates back to 2018 though he was close to that in August, finishing second in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Northern Ireland in 58:38. 

Peres Jepchirchir chasing third world half marathon title in Riga

He will be backed up by teammates Nibret Melak, Dinkalem Ayele and Tsegay Kidanu, who are all sub-60 men. Melak finished third at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon last month in 59:49 and ran his PB of 59:06 to win the Lisbon Half Marathon in March. 

With the recent withdrawal of reigning champion Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda’s charge will be led by Andrew Rotich Kwemoi, whose PB of 59:37 was run in Lille, France, last year. He took victory at the Milan Marathon in 2:07:14 earlier this year but failed to finish the marathon at the World Championships in Budapest.

 South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka is a 59:37 athlete at his best and he’ll be in contention if he reproduces something similar here, as will Djibouti’s Ibrahim Hassan, a 59:41 performer. Morocco’s challenge is led by Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, who was 25th in this year's World Championships marathon and who has a half marathon PB of 59:54.

The European challenge is led by Jimmy Gressier, the French 26-year-old who clocked his PB of 59:55 to finish third in the Paris Half Marathon in March. He went on to finish ninth in the world 5000m final in Budapest last month.

Japan is a nation that continually produces a horde of world-class half marathoners, owing to its Ekiden traditions, and they boast two strong candidates in Riga in Tomoki Ota, a 1:00:08 performer, and Ryota Kondo, who has a best of 1:00:32.

Each race will start at the Embankment and then cross the River Daugava to Pardaugava, before returning to Old Riga over Vansu Bridge, looping around the historic centre of the city before the finish, which is surrounded by the world-famous Art Nouveau architecture on Elizabeth Street. 

With just 11 metres separating the highest and lowest points on the course, the stage looks set for some fast times, though in this, as at every championship, it's really all about the medals.