Kipsiro wins his first half marathon

Kipsiro powers for the finish line enroute to winning the Commonwealth Games 10,000m gold in Glasgow, Scotland last year. AGENCIES PHOTO

What you need to know:

Athletics. The Ugandan runner is transiting from track to marathon as he prepares for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

KAMPALA.

Moses Kipsiro continued his preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics by fighting off the challenge of Scotland’s Callum Hawkins and Kenya’s Japhet Korir to win the 34th Great Scottish Run in Glasgow yesterday.

He won in a personal best time of one hour, two minutes 18 seconds. Kipsiro was 24 seconds ahead of Hawkins, who also ran a personal best. The 29-year-old Ugandan was pushed for the better part of the run by Hawkins, 23, and World Cross Country champion Korir, 22.

But the three-time Commonwealth champion held on to claim the honours in his first international half marathon. And what a way to win his maiden global half marathon from Glasgow, the same city he claimed his third Commonwealth gold last year!

The Ugandan is steadily transitioning from the 5,000m and 10,000m to a full marathoner by running half marathons, his first coming in the National Half Marathon Championships held in Mbale in February last year, where he finished fourth (1:03:3). However, after failing to make the grade for the World

Championships in Beijing in August, Kipsiro’s main focus remains the Rio Olympics next year. “My focus is on the 2016 Rio Olympics,” he told Daily Monitor in an earlier interview, “I just want to keep my body in shape.” Kipsiro has for more than two years expressed his desire to switch to marathon but his management team still wants him on track.
+He intends to feature in the Olympic marathon next year but the managers could have the final say.

It was not only Kipsiro hoisting the Ugandan flag at the weekend. Ben Siwa, 26, also ran a personal best of one hour, two minutes and seven seconds to win the 2015 Cardiff Half Marathon. Gideon Kimosop of Kenya was second.

KIPSIRO’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Commonwealth Games
2010: 5000m gold, 10000m gold
2014: 10000m gold
IAAF World Championships
2007: 5000m bronze
World Cross-country Champs
2009: silver, 2010: bronze
African Championships
2006: 5000m silver, 10000m gold
2010: 10000m silver
All Africa Games
2007: 5000m gold
2011: 5000m gold

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