The 2015 Nice International Half Marathon lived up to all its promises. Yesterday morning, right from 9:30 am, the participants of the 21.1 km and 10 km races stormed the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
While the organizers can congratulate themselves on a new record participation with 10,200 registered runners across the five offered distances, the record for the main event of 21.1 km remains unbeaten.
It was the Kenyan James RUNGARU, the big winner of the event today, who claimed victory over the distance in 1h00’12’’.
The elite athletes, at the starting line of the 21.1 km, were ready to compete. Historically, in the Nice International Half Marathon, an elite athlete had never run solo at the front from start to finish without weakening.
And yet that is what happened yesterday, with the Kenyan James RUNGARU who departed alone at the front in the first minutes of the race, setting his pace right from the start, far ahead of the rest of the pack.
Unfortunately, in the last 5 kilometers, the formidable RUNGARU weakened somewhat, allowing the possibility of setting a new record over the distance to slip away.
On the podium, the Kenyan James RUNGARU was clearly ahead, finishing in 1h00’12’’, followed by his compatriots Elijah TIROP in 1h00’55’’ and Norbert KIGEN in 1h01’20’’. The first regional, Gilles RUBIO, who is affiliated with Menton Marathon Athlétisme, improved his personal record by finishing in the 13th position in the overall ranking with a time of 1h11’54’’.
In the women’s competition, there was no suspense either, as the Kenyan Ednah KIMAIKO stayed ahead from start to finish, leaving her female competitors no chance. She took the top spot on the podium in 1h10’45’’, followed by the Ethiopian Alemayehu HIRUT in 1h14’01’’ and the French Nelly BAUDA in 1h21’16’’.
In the 10 km race, it was Bruce BAUTISTA, affiliated with the Nice Côte d’Azur Athlétisme club, who claimed the first place in 30’19’’.
In the women’s 10 km, it was the now accustomed podium occupant Hanan FARHOUN (affiliated with Nice Métropole Athlétisme) who took the top spot in 36’01’’.
The various events concluded under the sun and the cheers of a large crowd that turned out this year.
