At the “Nacht van de Euregio” meet in Dommelhof, Neerpelt, Belgium, on Saturday (2) there were some fast clockings in the distance races including a world leading time in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase, with South American records in both that event and the men's 10,000m.

Eunice Jepkorir ran the 12th fastest women's 3000m Steeplechase of all-time (9:25.84). The Kenyan’s time was also the fastest in the world so far in 2007.  In her wake back in sixth, 21-year-old Zenaide Vieira of Brazil finished with 9:46.20, a significant improvement on the previous South American record of 9:52.09 set by the same athlete at the Brazilian GP of Belém on 20 May.

Ahead of the Brazilian there were new national records for the second, third and fourth placed athletes, respectively Netsanet Achamo of Ethiopia (9:28.03), Belgium’s Veerle Dejaeghere (9:28.47) and Norwegian Karoline Grovdal (9:33.19). The latter is only 17 and her performance establishes a new European junior record by a large margin (Ancuta Bobocel of Romania - 9:49.03, 2004).

2006 New York City Marathon winner, Marílson Gomes dos Santos, finished fourth in the men’s 10,000m improving the South American record to 27:28.12, a performance that betters the 27:38.72 set by Argentinean Antonio Silio in Brussels on 3 September 1993.

The race was won by Kenyan Robert Sigei Kipngetich in 27:04.18, Kenyan Kiprono Menjo was second (27:04.61) and Ethiopian Tadese Tola was third (27:04.89). The top-ten home all broke 28mins.

This was Gomes dos Santos’ second area record, since he also holds the 5000m (13:19.43, Kassel, 8 June 2006).

In the women’s 1500m, behind the victory of Ethiopia’s Meskerem Assefa in 4:11.22 came Gomes dos Santos’ wife, Juliana Paula de Azevedo, who finished second in a PB of 4:11.39.

The men’s 3000m Steeplechase was won by Kenyan Elijah Chelimo in 8:16.28; Canadian Achraf Tadili clocked 1:46.43 for 800m, Australian Brendan Cole took the 400m Hurdles in 49.72, and Ukrainian Vladyslav Revenko managed 5.60m in Pole Vault.

Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
With additional information from Alfons Juck