Trento, Italy - Kenya's Paul Kimaiyo Kimugul won the 59th Giro al Sas 10km, held Saturday (8 Oct), beating Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini. Kimugul has been one of this season's strongest runners at the half marathon distance, winning in Berlin in April and coming third (60:15) a month ago in Rotterdam behind Samuel Wanjiru’s World record run.*

He was one the favourites at the World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, Canada, last weekend but at 10km he had already been dropped by the leading pack and took a little disappointing 16th place. In Trento he launched his attack just after halfway, when dropping last year’s winner Baldini. Kimugul crossed the finish line with 28 minutes exactly on the clock, a very good time, considering the loop course is rich with bends.

Baldini closed in second place, 16 seconds behind Kimugul. "The pace was really fast and Kimugul today was stronger than me," Baldini said after the race. "However, I felt good, the time is good, so I'm very satisfied with my race."

David Kipruto of Kenya was third (28:39), and Fabio Mascheroni, who was the only Italian in Edmonton (32th), produced a good race, 4th with 28:44.

In the women’s race, Italy’s Bruna Genovese, the Tokyo Marathon champion, who had returned just a couple before from Albuquerque where had been training hard for the New York marathon, dominated proceedings winning in 33:15. Italian marathon champion Ivana Iozzia closed some forty seconds behind.

Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF

Results (10km)

Men's race
1. Paul Kimaiyo Kimugul  KEN  28:00
2. Stefano Baldini  ITA  28:16
3. David Kipruto  KEN  28:39
4. Fabio Mascheroni  ITA  28:44

Women's race
1. Bruna Genovese  ITA  33:15
2. Ivana Iozzia  ITA  33:56

*pending ratification