News31 May 2008


Kibet runs 30:58:48 to qualify for Beijing

FacebookTwitterEmail

Hilda Kibet wins the London 10km (© Victah Sailer)

 On a cool nearly windless evening (30 May) Hilda Kibet ran currently the third fastest time of the year for the 10,000 metres in the Dutch city of Utrecht with 30:58:48.

From the gun Kibet went away with her cousin Lornah Kiplagat. The two were chasing the Dutch qualifiing standard of 31:22:14 for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The two went side by side through the 3000 metres in 9:29:78, having trained together in Kiplagat's high altitude training centre in Kigen, Kenya. Kiplagat however was affected by a viral infection there and could not train for more than a week.

At 4000 metres Kibet took the lead and ran an impressive race passing the 5000m in 15:33:46 with Kiplagat some twenty metres back, and at 6600m Kiplagat left the track. Kibet went on in a very fast pace finishing in 30:58:48 bettering her personal best with over a minute.

“I'm very happy with this time,'' said the former Kenyan, who got her Dutch passport last October. “It was not a problem to run most of the race alone. Due to her health problems Lornah could not help me as long as we hoped but it went well.''

Kibet will now go back to Kenya to train. In the coming weeks she will have two races on the road in New York and London and than pick up her trainingg for Beijing again.

Kiplagat will try again to reach the Dutch standard on 12 June in Ostrava.

Britain’s Hayley Yelling finished second in Utrecht with a time of 31:49:29.

Wim van Hemert for the IAAF

Result
1. Hilda Kibet (NED) 30:58:48 (PB)
2. Hayley Yelling (GBR) 31:49:29
3. Sharon Tawenga (ZIM) 33:39:26
4. Saskia van Vugt (NED) 35:23:11 (PB)

DNF: Lornah Kiplagat (Ned) and Nathalie de Vos (Bel).

Pages related to this article
DisciplinesCompetitions
Loading...