Acknowledged as ‘the queen’ by her rivals, Agnes Ngetich was the ruling monarch of Copenhagen this morning when she secured the gold medal in world record time at the 2026 World Road Running Championships.

And there was Scandinavian joy as neighbouring Sweden’s Andreas Almgren upset race favourite, Nicholas Kipkorir, and raced to victory and a European half marathon record in the men’s race, which brought down the curtain on a successful six-race championship.

The championship fully  embraced Danish ‘Hygge’ culture – everyone has a good time – with the race routes taking in some of the capital city’s outstanding features, including the Tivoli Gardens, the Marble Church and the Queen Louise Bridge, rumoured to be in line for a name change to Queen Agnes Bridge after the weekend’s racing!

45 000 participants took part in the mass-participation half marathon which immediately followed the championship event. Cool conditions favoured the athletes, although wind gusts, which collapsed a row of bicycles near the start, added to the finish times of the elite.

Ngetich was in a class of her own, breaking away from the start to win by the best part of a minute ahead of compatriot Veronica Loleo, but with a $50 000 incentive at stake for a world record, there was no lack of excitement at the finish.

Ngetich raced down the home straight past the towering Parken Stadium, but it looked as if she might just miss the 1:05:16 mark, set by fellow Kenyan, Peres Jepchirchir at the last World Championships in Riga in 2023. But a final surge took her over the line just one second inside Jepchirchir’s time, winning in 1:05:15.

“I thought I might miss it,” acknowledged Ngetich. “But the thought of the $50 000 gave me extra energy and I gave a last push.  I’m so happy to have won the title and gained the record.”

Ngetich runs with a loping gait, evocative of that of the brilliant South African Matthews Motswarateu, whose lolling style earned him the nickname ‘Loop en Val’ (Walk and Fall).

Like Motswaratweu, who set a world 10km record of 27:59,3 in New York in 1980, the lack of a classic running gait proves no impediment to Ngetich, who now holds three road world records, including the 10km marks for both mixed (28:46) and women’s only (29:27) races.

“I just felt it was a great day for running and a chance of the record, so didn’t want to wait around after the start,” Ngetich explained her race tactics. “I felt good most of the way although started to tire towards the end before picking up the pace in the final 100m.

“It’s not so easy to be a front-runner – you have to be strong in body and mind to keep up the pace on your own. And today with the gusts of wind I had to be extra strong.”

Ngetich was 11 seconds ahead of a group of ten runners at 5km, a group which included her compatriots Veronica Loleo and Desilah Jerono, Ethiopians Tsigie Gebreselama and Ftaw Zeray, Americans Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati and Jessica McLain and Rwandan Florence Niyonkuru.

The lead had grown to 26 seconds as Ngetich led through 10km in 30:39 and 53 seconds through 15km (46:17), with just six pursuers left in contention for podium honours after Gebreselama and McLain had fallen off the pace.

With 4km to go, the race for line honours was over as Ngetich raced clear to a record-breaking victory, but four were left fighting for two medals.  Loleo, Niyonkuru, Jerono and Hurley matched strides in close combat, with the American first to concede 2km from home.

Last month Jerono, a senior private in the Kenyan Airforce, ran a 10km PB in stormy weather in Cape Town and expressed her determination to challenge for the podium in Copenhagen. Just a kilometre from the finish her dream was in sight, but she ran short on fuel when poised for take-off, leaving Loleo and Niyonkuru to fight for silver and bronze.

The Rwandan was the surprise package of the race, taking bronze in 1:06:08, three seconds back of Loleo – a huge 1:14 improvement on her previous best, set in Berlin in March this year.

A gold medal in the team competition proved compensation for Jerono, with the USA and Ethiopia taking the team silver and bronze respectively.

Unlike the women’s race, the result of the men’s contest was in doubt till the last and yielded the fifth ‘last gasp’ finish out of six championship races, with Almgren and race favourite, Nicholas Kipkorir, dishing up a finish for the ages.

Demonstrating the new-found confidence which currently typifies American distance running, Connor Mantz went to the front from the start and was still in the vanguard 3km into the race, reached in a brisk 8:27. Almgren and Japanese athlete Tomoya Ogikubo were at his shoulder.

But soon it was business as usual with a phalanx of red-vested Kenyan athletes leading the charge, with the red and green of Ethiopia and yellow of Uganda adding colour to the ‘lead bus’ of some twenty-five athletes.

Kipkorir, who had the fastest time going into the race, had been biding his time behind his teammates, but the Kenyan was soon out in front, dictating the destiny of the race and racing through 5km with teammates Daniel Ebenyo and Rono at his shoulder in 13:57.

The three Kenyans were still out in front through 10km in 27:53, with a larger group, which included Almgren, Mantz, Olympian and World Championship gold medalist Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, Ethiopian Tadese Worku and Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa, strung out behind them.

Kipkorir’s pace increase led to casualties and only Almgren, Cheptegei and Worku were left with the Kenyan through 15km in 41:47. Worku was next to go as the remaining trio hit 20km in 55:20. Cheptegei, struggling with a foot injury, fell off the pace and as the athletes turned into the home straight, 600m from the finish, it was down to just two.

Kipkorir attempted a final surge but in the end the race-smart tactics of Almgren paid dividends. He had stayed behind the leading runners throughout and now took the lead 150 metres from home to win by 5 seconds in a European record time of 58:06. Cheptegei clinched bronze 15 seconds further back in 58:26.

With all four of their runners in the top ten, Kenya had no rival for the team gold, making it a half marathon golden double and crowing a top championship for the East African team.

But the hour belonged to Stockholm-based Almgren. “I felt so good today,” Almgren said. “My plan was to do as little work as possible, just to stay behind the leaders and only take the lead at the end. And with 200m to go and feeling strong, I hammered and got a gap.

“Nicholas was so strong – I feel a little bit bad (about his tactics), but in a championship race you have to do what is best for you to win. At the European 10km champs I needed a fast time, so did the work that day. Today was all about the win and I knew I had a fast kick. My tactics paid off.

“Early in my career I regarded it as an impossible task to beat the top African runners. And I was always getting injured trying for extra speed. Then I found the Norwegian style of higher mileage and lower intensity suited me and that has made all the difference. But athletes like Joshua (Cheptegei) and others from Africa have been truly inspiring.”

Many half-marathoners at the championships are on the cusp of moving up to the marathon, with Almgren preparing to race the New York Marathon in November. “I’ll be moving out to Flagstaff, Arizona, to complete my preparation at altitude and hope to join (South African) Adriaan Wildschutt in some training runs, although he is racing Chicago Marathon in October and is at a slightly different phase in his training,” explained Almgren.

Kipkorir is also looking at a Marathon Major for a debut, admitting he would love to do so on his home continent. “I would love to race Cape Town Marathon in May,” he said.

World Road Running Championships

Men’s Half Marathon results

1 Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 1:05:15
2 Veronica Loleo (KEN) 1:06:05
3 Florence Niyonkuru (RWA) 1:06:08
4 Daisilah Jerono (KEN) 1:06:13
5 Emma Grace Hurley (USA) 1:06:23
6 Weini Kelati Frezghi (USA) 1:06:35
7 Jessica McClain (USA) 1:06:53
8 Ftaw Zeray (ETH) 1:07:07
9 Fatima Ezzahra Birdaha (MAR) 1:07:33
10 Esther Chebet (UGA) 1:07:38

Team medallists

1 Kenya 3:17:33
2 United States 3:19:51
3 Ethiopia 3:22:40

World Road Running Championships

Men’s Half Marathon results

1 Andreas Almgren (SWE) 58:06
2 Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) 58:11
3 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 58:26
4 Tadese Worku (ETH) 58:35
5 Gideon Rono (KEN) 58:57
6 Hani Idriss Hersi (DJI) 59:09
7 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 59:18
8 Alex Nzioka Matata (KEN) 59:22
9 Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) 59:42
10 Othmane El Goumri (MAR) 59:53

Team medallists

1 Kenya 2:56:30
2 Ethiopia 2:59:47
3 United States 3:01:34

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Ethiopean Likina Amebaw and Eritrean Dawit Seare delivered Africa’s first titles at the World Road Running Championships which took place in a cold Copenhagen today (Saturday 19 Sept), holding off strong fields to clinch gold medals in the respective Men’s and Women’s 5km Races.

The event proved a triumph for Africa as the continent placed eight athletes (from six countries) in the top ten in the men’s race and five out of ten in the women’s.

It took the mercurial talent of Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen to prevent an African clean sweep of the podium. In a thrilling finish it appeared that the Norwegian was set to take the title to add to his 5000m track victory at the Ultimate Championship in Budepest last weekend, when he took the lead 250 metres from home.

But Seare, 22, who finished 4^th at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in 2023, was determined not to miss out on this occasion, producing a final burst which took him to victory.

The Eritrean – who won the African 5000m title earlier this year – crossed the line in a national record of 12:56. Ingebrigtsen followed three seconds later in a Norwegian record of 12:59, while Seare’s teenage teammate Saymon Amanuel completed the podium in a PB of 13:00.

“In the end it was a matter of timing,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I was a little surprised that the leaders were going full on with 1200m to run. But I guess I produced my final surge too early. You need a bit of luck in these close contests and in the end I was unlucky. But Seare was running very strongly and I was completely spend before the finish.”

Ingebrigtsen was racing on his 26th birthday in only his second road 5km – and his first in six years – and his third consecutive weekend of major championship racing.

The early stages belonged to France with Mediterranean Games 1500m champion Flavien Szot darting to the front shortly after the start and immediately injected pace into the race. His teammate Jimmy Gressier, who had run a European record of 12:51 in Lille earlier this year, positioned himself just behind alongside Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune and Kenyan youngster Charles Kiboino.

Gressier then assumed control, with Yihune and Amanuel closest behind. By 3km Ingebrigtsen had moved steadily through the field and was now about seventh, while Gressier surrendered the lead to Amanuel. Kiboino remained prominent, as did Seare, who had kept himself within striking distance throughout.

Amanuel, still only 19, capped an excellent day for Eritrea by taking bronze behind Ingebrigtsen in 13:00.

Australia’s Ky Robinson and winner of the Commonweath 10 000m, finished just outside the medals, clocking an Oceanian record of 13:04.

Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop matched Robinson’s 13:04 with a PB in fifth, followed by Yihune in 13:07 and Sime in a season’s best of 13:08.

South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton lost vital training with a torn hamstring eight weeks back, but had recovered to be able to contend strongly, rounding out the top ten with a 13:13 time, 7 seconds off his best. “I’m determined to return to the Championships next year to take a medal,” Chaumeton remarked.

Earlier Ethiopian Likina Amebaw lived up to her pre-race favourite billing, adding another global title to her collection just six days on from claiming the Ultimate 5000m crown, securing a convincing victory in the women’s race. “It’s my winning week,” Amebaw confessed. “So I had to make the most of it. I felt really good out there today.

“I’m coming straight from Budapest, but the shift from track to road was not really difficult as I have been training both at the same time,” she explained. “The track was a bit difficult for me so running the 5km today was better and I felt good – I had prepared for road racing.

“I knew I had to push from the very start and it worked as planned. There was a little bit of wind, but it was okay and I managed to find some good spots on the course.”

The 28-year-old Ethiopian took control of the race during the first kilometre and made her winning move as she reached the 4km mark, kicking away from Kenya’s Caroline Gitonga, who had led the race through the third kilometre.

The leaders, who covered the first kilometre down Østerbrogade in just outside three minutes, picked up the pace and by the time they reached the 2km marker in around 5:54, Amebaw led a breakaway group of three – ahead of her compatriot Aleshign Baweke and Gitonga, who was strong throughout the race.

But when it came to the business end there was no stopping Amebaw who crossed the line with her arms raised in 14:41.

Gitonga secured silver in 14:48, while Australia’s Rose Davies finished strongly to clinch bronze in an Oceanian record of 14:50 to clinch the final podium place just a second ahead of South Africa’s fast-finishing Tayla Kavanagh. Baweke was fifth in 14:53.

The Durban-based Kavanagh was a revelation, showing the form which took her to the national track titles over 5000m and 10 000m this year. “Tayla Kavanagh is running the race of her life,” screamed the commentator as she moved through the field in the final 600m to fall a fraction short of podium glory but fully 19 seconds inside Elana Meyer’s 32 year old best in a new national record.

“I ran that in Providence 5k in the USA in 1994,” recalled Meyer. “It was a great achievement back then. Well done to Tayla for taking on the leading women in the world !! A great day for SA women.”

World Road Running Championship

Results – Men 5km

1 Dawit Seare (ERI) 12:56
2 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 12:59
3 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 13:00
4 Ky Robinson (AUS) 13:04
5 Keneth Kiprop (UGA) 13:04
6 Addisu Yihune (ETH) 13:07
7 Mezgebu Sime (ETH) 13:08
8 Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (KEN) 13:11
9 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 13:12
10 Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) 13:13

Results – Women 5km

1 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 14:41 
2 Caroline Gitonga (KEN) 14:48 
3 Rose Davies (AUS) 14:50
4 Tayla Kavanagh (RSA) 14:51
5 Aleshign Baweke (ETH) 14:53
6 Marta García (ESP) 14:59
7 Georgia Griffith (AUS) 15:01
8 Samiya Hassan Nour (DJI) 15:04
9 Hannah Gapes (NZL) 15:06
10 Hannah Nuttall (GBR) 15:08

Mixed team medallists

1 United States (Addison Wiley, Gracie Hyde, Yared Nuguse, Vincent Ciattei) 16:49.89
2 Australia (Linden Hall, Sarah Billings, Oliver Hoare, Jude Thomas) 16:50.61
3 Kenya (Mirriam Cherop, Naomi Korir, Brian Komen, Kyumbe Munguti) 16:51.36

The post Titles for Ethiopia and Eritrea as Africa shines at World Road Running Championships appeared first on Sports Network Africa.

Copenhagen is best known as a Waterfront, bicycle-friendly European capital with a deep history in fairy-tales.  And for a handful of the world’s leading distance athletes, this weekend could have a fairy-tale ending with individual and team medals at stake at the World Road Running Championships, comprising the half marathon, 5km and 1 mile road races.

Once again, the African quest for titles and podium positions is powerful, with athletes from Great Rift Valley countries, in particular Ethiopia and Kenya, favoured to dominate in Sunday’s half marathon.  The USA, Europe and Asia will likely feature more strongly in tomorrow’s 5km and mile events.

Buoyed by the news that Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the Kenyan team exuded confidence in the Danish capital. Rightly so, with athletes of the calibre of top-ranked Nicholas Kipkorir and Agnes Ngetich in their line-up for the 21km race.

Without pacers in championship races and given Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha’s recent 56:51 show-stopper awaiting ratification, world records may be hard to come by, but with the strength of the field – the fastest 17 in the men’s field all have run faster than an hour for the half marathon – and flat, fast courses, expect personal, national and area records to tumble.

At 27,  Kipkorir has recently made the step up to the half marathon from an impressive track and 10km background and used his track speed to good effect to record a best time of 58:08 in Lisbon in March – 15 seconds inside his time in winning last year’s Copenhagen Half Marathon.

He has tasted podium success at the World Road Running Championships, having won the bronze medal in the 5km in Riga, Latvia, in 2023 but arguably his best distance lies with the longer event.

Kipkorir’s strongest opposition could come from teammate Gideon Rono (who boasts the second fastest PB in the field of 58:38), Swedish athlete Andreas Almgren, whose 58:41 half marathon and 26:45 10km bests have been achieved in the last twelve months and who will enjoy ‘home support’ as a near neighour, Ethiopian Tadese Worku and perennial runner-up Daniel Ebenyo, who boasts World and African Championship, Commonwealth and World Road Running Championship silver medals.

One world record expected to go is that of the women-only half marathon, currently at 1:05:16, set by Peres Jepchirchir at the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland in 2020. Four athletes in the field have personal best times faster than that (achieved in mixed gender races) and Ngetich (1:03:04), Kenya’s Lilian Rengeruk (1:03:32) and the Ethiopian pair of Tsigie Gebreselama (1:04:48) and Ftaw Zeray (1:05:12) are leading contenders for the title.

Gebreselama and Zeray and a third Kenyan, Daisilah Jerono (1:05:21),  are the in-form athletes, having achieved their times this year, while South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba is unlikely to be far off the pace in search of a national record faster than 67 minutes.

French athlete Jimmy Gressier shot to prominence with gold and silver medals (10 000m and 5000m) at the World Championships in Tokyo last year. He took third in the half marathon in Latvia in 2023 but could be tough to beat in the 5km tomorrow on the first day of the championship.

Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune is second fastest in the field behind Gressier’s 12:51 (12:54), with Swiss athlete Dominic Lobalu (13:00), Ethiopians Mezgebu Sime and Biniam Mehary ((13:01 and 13:04) and South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton (13:06) the next best. High profile Norwegian track star, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, is also likely to contend strongly.

The two Kenyan Carolines, Nyaga and Gitonga, will compete strongly for Kenyan medals in the women’s 5km, with Nyaga’s 14:19 personal best the fastest of the field and Gitonga’s 14:26, third behind Ethiopian Likina Amebaw’s 14:23.

American athletes could dominate the podium in the one mile contest with Yared Nuguse and Vincent Ciattei heading the field ahead of closest challenges Jack Anstey (Australia), Andre Sousa (Brazil) and Romain Mornet (France). Americans Addison Wiley and Gracie Hyde have the fastest times of the season in the women’s mile, but could find Kenya’s Mirriam Cherop and Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu tough competitors in the dash for the finish line.

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