The 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010.IAAF Council Meeting notes, Monaco – 20 November . IAAF (2009-11-20). Retrieved on 2010-01-02. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake.2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships . USATF (2010-10-16). Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
The Kenyan athletes emerged with both the individual and team titles in the men's and women's races. Despite limited experience in top level half marathon races, Wilson Kiprop and Florence Kiplagat won their respective races. Kiprop broke Zersenay Tadese's winning streak which dated back to 2006, out-sprinting the defending champion in the final stages. Sammy Kitwara won the men's bronze medal and helped Kenya to the men's team title. Led by Zersenay, the Eritrean men beat Ethiopia to the team silver medal spot.
Kiplagat, who was ever present at the front of the women's race, outdid Ethiopian Dire Tune in the last kilometre to win her second gold medal on the global stage. Mirroring Kitwara, Kenya's women's bronze medallist Peninah Jerop Arusei secured the team's victory over Ethiopia. Representing the hosts, Zhu Xiaolin was the only non-African to reach the top eight at the championships. The joint effort of the Japanese women aided them to a sixth consecutive team bronze medal – making them the only medalling country outside the typically strong African triumvirate of Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
A total of 30 countries were represented at the 19th edition of the competition and 123 runners altogether were entered into the men's and women's races. The event was the final edition to be held on an annual schedule, as the competition switched to a biennial format for the 2012 championships.
Organization The city of Nanning was announced as the host venue for the 2010 World Half Marathon Championship at the IAAF Council Meeting in Monaco in November 2008. The winning bid was a continuation of a series of major international athletics events in the People's Republic of China, which included the 2006 World Junior Championships and a highly successful athletics competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.IAAF Council Meeting notes, Monaco - 22 November . IAAF (2008-11-22). Retrieved on 2010-10-23.Ramsak, Bob (2010-10-15). IAAF / LOC Press Conference - Nanning 2010 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-23. It was the first time that China hosted the competition, becoming the second Asian country to do so after India, which held the 2004 edition in New Delhi.IAAF/SINOPEC World Half Marathon Championships – Nanning 2010 – Facts and Figures . IAAF (2010). Retrieved on 2010-10-23.
The Local Organizing Committee was headed by the Nanning Sports Bureau and worked in conjunction with the Chinese Athletics Association and the IAAF.Basic Information Guide - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, 2010 - Nanning - CHN . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-23. The event gained a high-profile title sponsor in Sinopec, the major Chinese state-owned petroleum corporation. The competition featured an original event mascot – an anthropomorphic ox, called "Ah Niu", which was dressed in the traditional costume of the Zhuang people.Nanning celebrates 100 days to go . IAAF (2010-07-09). Retrieved on 2010-07-23.
In addition to the primary events of the day, the competition was held in conjunction with Nanning's 28th Liberation Day celebrations and mass races over 10 km and 4 km were also held.Wang Hao Duo (2010-09-15). 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships held in October . Big5 Enorth. Retrieved on 2010-11-18. The Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed live television coverage of the event via helicopter.CCTV will broadcast live aerial Nanning World Half Marathon Championships . NN News (2010-09-16). Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
Format Continuing in the tradition of previous editions, the championships comprised separate half marathon road races for men and women, with each race having an individual and international team aspect. Each nation could enter a maximum of five athletes per race and the team scores were calculated by combining the finishing times of each team's top three runners. Nations with fewer than three runners were disregarded for the team event and their runners competed for the individual prizes only.
Athletes typically gained selection for their country in one of two ways: through recent performances on the international road running circuit, or via a performance at a specially designated half marathon national championships.National champions lead US squad for Nanning - IAAF / Sinopec World Half-Marathon Championships . IAAF/USATF (2010-10-07). Retrieved on 2010-10-23.
A total prize money pot of US$245,000 was available to athletes at the championships, with awards being given to those placing from first to sixth in both the individual and team sections. The amounts on offer for each competition were equal across the sexes. The top prize for the individual race winners was $30,000, while the three athletes in the winning teams earned a share of $15,000. A further $50,000 was provided as an incentive for runners who improved upon the half marathon world record mark, but ultimately this award was not claimed at the 2010 championships. All athletes receiving prize money needed to submit to – and pass – a doping test in order to claim their award.
+Prize money (US$) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6thIndividual race 30,000 15,000 10,000 7,000 5,000 3,000Team race 15,000 12,000 9,000 7,500 6,000 3,000
Course
The half marathon course was designed in a double-looped, or figure eight, format which had Wuxiang Square as the central start and finish point for the race, situated just off Nanning's Minzu Avenue. The route left the square in a westerly direction along Minzu Avenue, before turning north on Binhu Road. It turned left onto Changu Road and followed Dongge Road up to the Guangxi People's Hall, which was around the 8 km mark. Turning back eastwards via Minsheng Road and Gonghe Road, the route ran along the straightway of Minzu Avenue, passing the halfway marker at this point.Course Profile - Nanning 2010 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-23.Map of Nanning City . 2010 NNWHM. Retrieved on 2010-10-23.The Route . 2010 NNWHM. Retrieved on 2010-10-23.
The racers then headed right to go south along Shuangyong Road and Qingshan Road, passing the Qingzhu Flyover on their way. Going northwards along Zhuxi Avenue, the race came up to the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center and headed east on Minzu Road before doubling back via Qingxiu Road. Tracing a path alongside The Admiral City Shopping Mall, the route went east to return the starting point of Wuxiang Square. There was little elevation on the generally flat course, which ranged between eight and twelve metres wide along the route.$245,000 Prize Money; Course Map/Profile; Team Scoring – Nanning 2010 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-23.
The championships were held on 16 October 2010. The women's race began at 8:30am local time (GMT+8) and the men's competition began half an hour after this. In addition to the elite races, a complementary mass fun run event of 10 km and 4 km was held for the people of Nanning (beginning at 9:15am). The competitions took place in the morning in order to avoid the heat of the day in what is one of PR China's most southerly cities.
Nanhu Park was the designated training area for the athletes in attendance.
Medallists IndividualMen 1:00:07 1:00:11 1:00:22 Women 1:08:24 1:08:34 1:09:05 TeamTeam Men 3:01:32 3:03:04 3:05:26Team Women 3:26:59 3:27:33 3:33:40
Men's race The favourite for the men's race was Eritrean runner Zersenay Tadese (the defending champion with four straight wins), who had broken the world record earlier that year with a run of 58:23 minutes at the Lisbon Half Marathon.Omogbeja, Yomi (2010-03-21). Tadese lowers World Half Marathon mark in Lisbon . Athletics Africa. Retrieved on 2010-11-18. Newly minted African Champion Wilson Kiprop was the most prominent of the Kenyan contingent, which was the clear favourite for the team title through its hoard of sub-60 minute runners including Sammy Kitwara, Silas Kipruto and Moses Mosop. Other contenders were Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa and Eritrean Samuel Tsegay.Ramsak, Bob (2010-10-14). The spotlight on Tadese – MEN'S RACE PREVIEW – Nanning 2010 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.Lotsbom, Chris (2010-10-15). Tadese, Kiplagat Headline IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships . All-Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-18.Tadese and Kiplagat Start Favourites for Half Marathon Titles . Great Run (2010-10-15). Retrieved on 2010-11-18. Kenya was the defending champion in the team race.Lamppa, Ryan (2010-10-06). Team USA Set for World Half Marathon Championships . Cool Running. Retrieved on 2010-11-24.
The hot and humid conditions in Nanning slowed the runners' pace and twelve of them remained within the main pack by the 10 km point. The following five kilometres was decisive for the race, as Samuel Tsegay, Titus Masai and Mosop were all left trailing. The leading four runners were soon reduced to three, as Kipruto fell away to leave Zersenay Tadese, Wilson Kiprop and Sammy Kitwara to battle for the medal positions. Zersenay and Kiprop were neck and neck in the lead from the last kilometre and it was Kiprop who pulled away in the final 100 metres to break the Eritrean's four-year undefeated streak. Zersenay faded badly at the end and appeared injured after taking second place. Kitwara and Kipruto were third and fourth, sealing the Kenyan team victory, while Samuel Tsegay's fifth place helped Eritrea to the team silver.Ramsak, Bob (2010-10-16). Kiprop dethrones Tadese - Men’s Race – Nanning 2010 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-16.Musumba, Chris (2010-10-16). Kenyans claim rare double at IAAF World meet . Daily Nation. Retrieved on 2010-11-18.16 OCTOBER 2010: IAAF/SINOPEC WORLD HALF MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS, CHINA . Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (October 2010). Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
The win continued Kiprop's meteoric rise of 2010 – a year in which he had gone from a low-profile circuit runner to the 10,000 metres Kenyan and African champion, with a sub-60 minute half marathon best after wins in Paris and Lille.James Wokabi and Mutwiri Mutuota (2010-07-22). Focus on Athletes - Wilson Kiprop . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-21.Ramsak, Bob (2010-09-06). Fast Half Marathon debut for F. Kiplagat in Lille . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-21. Silver medallist Zersenay received some consolation as he was given the AIMS/Citizen World's Fastest Time Award days after the competition in respect of his position as world record holder, becoming only the second half marathon athlete to be selected for the accolade after Lornah Kiplagat.Zersenay Tadese receives the AIMS/Citizen World’s fastest time award for the Half Marathon . IAAF (2010-10-20). Retrieved on 2010-10-23.AIMS/Citizen World Fastest Time Awards Previous Winners . AIMS. Retrieved on 2010-10-23. There were no surprise breakthroughs in the men's race as all the top performers were those predicted to make an impact before the race. However, there were some other achievements of note including: Kitwara's first individual medal for Kenya, personal bests for Birhanu Bekele and Tomoya Onishi in eighth and ninth place respectively, and (much further back in the field) a national record for Bhutanese racer Passang Passang.Results Half Marathon - Men . IAAF (2010). Retrieved on 2010-10-23.
Men's results