Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe clocked 28:00 to break the 32-year-old men’s course record by two seconds at the BOclassic, a World Athletics Label road race, in Bolzano, Italy, on Sunday (31).
Racing over 10km, the world half marathon champion won by three seconds ahead of Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa.
In the women’s race, Nadia Battocletti became the first Italian to win since 1988, clocking 15:30.
The men’s race took place over eight laps of the 1.25km course through the centre of Bolzano and a group of seven was still together after the first loop. The lead pack whittled down over the next few laps before the race became a duel between Sawe and Crippa.
Sawe launched his first attack with three laps to go and increased his lead on the penultimate loop. Crippa was still in close contact but he couldn’t respond when Sawe moved away on the final loop and went on to win in 28:00.
Crippa reached the finish line in a PB of 28:03, while South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton matched his position from last year and placed third in 28:39.
In the women’s race Battocletti, the European cross country runner-up, kept her two strongest rivals – Kenya’s Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi and Nelly Chepchirchir – at bay after the four 1.25km loops.
The leading trio stayed together for three laps before Kipkemboi broke away. But on the long finishing straight in Bahnhofsallee, Battocletti finally ignited the turbo and sprinted to a win in 15:30, three seconds ahead of Chepchirchir.
Two-time BOclassic winner Kipkemboi was third in 15:49.
Organisers for World Athletics
Leading results
Women
1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 15:30
2 Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN) 15:33
3 Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (KEN) 15:49
4 Giovanna Selva (ITA) 16:11
5 Ludovica Cavalli (ITA) 16:15
Men
1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 28:00
2 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 28:03
3 Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) 28:39
4 Fearghal Curtin (IRL) 29:08
5 Paulos Surafel (GBR) 29:13
Credit: World Athletics
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