Kiplimo Kimitai wins Redcar Half Marathon

Jun 14 2010 by Les Venmore

KENYAN Kiplimo Kimitai was a runaway winner of yesterday’s 28th Redcar Half Marathon sponsored by Start Fitness.

Kimitai soon opened up a lead over fellow Kenyons Ezekiel Cherop (this year’s Blaydon Race winner) and Zak Kihara, winner of this event in 2008 and 2009.

Kimitui clocked 62 minutes and seven seconds on the new course, starting and finishing on Redcar Seafront, the fastest ever time for this race (Paul Davis-Hale held the previous best of 64mins 4secs).

The margin of victory in the ideal conditions was a massive 3mins 38secs over Cherop, who was a further 2mins 37secs ahead of Kihara.

Marathon specialist Dave Kirkland of Alnwick pulled away from James Buis of Heaton in the final mile to take fourth place, the pair taking the gold and silver medals in the incorporated North Eastern Counties’ Championship.

North York Moors’ Paul Lowe, in sixth place, took the bronze medal and was also the leading veteran.

Rotherham’s Jenny Blizard overcame the African challenge to win the women’s race. She came home 85secs ahead of Yimenashu Taye, with another Ethiopian Genet Measso nearly three minutes behind in third.

Loise Noble of Sunderland Strollers was the first local runner – in fourth place – taking the North East Counties title.

Heaton’s Stacy Rogers (fifth) and Gateshead’s Kim Simpson (sixth) took the minor medals.

The region's athletes came home with seven gold medals from the weekend's Northern Athletics Championships at Sport City, Manchester.

Elswick's Philip Hurst maintained his season's unbeaten record to take the senior 1,500m title, while Emma Raven, of Chester-le-Street won the 5,000m with clubmate Tracy Laws in third place.

Nisha Desai of Trafford gained victory in the 400m hurdles and Gateshead’s Craig Fiddes led a Gateshead 1-2-3 in the triple jump with clubmates Sam Stanislaus and Daniel Blackett taking the minor medals. Graeme Level was another winner for Gateshead, in the discus, as were Ashleigh Wood in the under-20 100m hurdles and Andy Toward, in the under-20 discus.

Newcastle University student David Dempsey, competing for Longwood, won the under-20 400m hurdles.