Kenya’s Silas Kirui destroyed the opposition and the men’s course record when he won the 7th edition of the Hervis Prague Half Marathon today in the Czech capital.

The Kenyan came home in 1:01:07 which is a new personal best (1:01:22, 2004) to beat his compatriot Stanley Salil by a huge margin of 38 seconds. Salil finished in 1:01:45 while defending champion Joseph Ngeny was third in 1:01:56. Three other Kenyans, Daniel Rono, Kiprop Simion Tuitoek and Muia Boniface Usisivu filled up the top six positions. Robert Stefko of the Czech Republic was the first non-Kenyan and the first European home in 7th place.

“I kept with the pace up until the 15th km, then I realized that I could go for it” said Kirui for his success in Prague. “I heard yesterday that the course could prove either a blessing or a curse. I’m happy that it actually proved the former.

Kirui’s namesake Susan, won the women’s race in 1:12:49. She beat yet another Kenyan, 23-year-old Jennifer Lunkgakwiang, who was second almost in 1:13:36. Local favourite, Jana Klimesova, came in a distant third in 1:15:31, but she was equally pleased with the result as she only recently returned to running after she had a baby.

Diana Rybachenko for the IAAF