On Sunday, the Porto Half Marathon once again proved to be a playground for Kenyan athletes. Brian Kibor stormed to victory in the men’s race, while Cynthia Chemweno successfully defended her title in the women’s event. The speed on display was truly something to behold.
Brian Kibor crossed the finish line alone in the men’s competition. His winning time was a swift 1 hour and 12 seconds. He just missed the course record of 59 minutes and 30 seconds by 42 seconds. Kenyans truly dominated the top spots. Simon Maiywa took second place, finishing 1 minute and 12 seconds after Kibor. Ioana Erot secured the third spot, trailing Kibor by 1 minute and 58 seconds.
For the local fans, Bernardo Rocha was the top Portuguese male runner. He finished in ninth place with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 48 seconds. His compatriot, Nuno Lopes, followed close behind. Nuno clocked in at 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 57 seconds.
In the women’s race, Cynthia Chemweno showed why she’s a champion. She repeated her win from last year, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 39 seconds. Uganda’s Annet Chelangat pushed her hard, finishing just 21 seconds later. Kenya’s Janet Gichumbi rounded out the podium in third place, 30 seconds behind Chemweno.
Vanessa Carvalho proudly represented Portugal in the women’s field. She finished in an excellent fourth place. Her time of 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 45 seconds was impressive. Even better, she managed to shave about 40 seconds off her personal best for this distance.