World Record holder Tadese to chase 5th world title at IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna tomorrow

The 2012  IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, to be held at the Black Sea coast resort town of Kavarna, Bulgaria on 9 October, will see half marathon world record holder Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea seeking his 5th world title after failing to do so in a row when he was narrowly defeated by Wilson Kiprop of Kenya at Nanning 2010 in China.

The annual IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was inaugurated in 1992. In 2006 it was replaced by IAAF World Road Running Championships with a reduced distance of 20km and on the following year of 2007 the distance was brought back to the half marathon distance of 21.0975km. Similarly the original name of World Half Marathon Championships was restored as from 2008.
The Kavarna 2012 will be the 20th edition after Nanning 2010 with a break in 2011.

30-year old Tadese has won four consecutive Championships titles viz :
2006 Debrecen, Hungary 56:01 (20km)
2007 Udine, Italy 58:59 [Championships Record]
2008 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 59:56
2009 Birmingham, England 59:35

However he finished a close second in 1:00:11 behind Wilson Kiprop (KEN) who won in 1:00:07 in 2010 Nanning.

Tadese will face stiff competitions from the Kenyans, who have won the five previous team titles, in Eliud Kipchoge, 27 (PB 59:25), Pius Kirop, 22, (PB 59:25), and Stephen Kibet Kosgei, 25, (PB 58:54)

An attractive prize purse of USD245,000 awaits the Men and Women top finishers in the Individual and Team categories as follows:

 Individual: (USD)
1st - 30,000
2nd - 15,000
3rd - 10,000
4th - 7,000
5th - 5,000
6th - 3,000


Teams : (USD)
1st - 15,000
2nd - 12,000
3rd - 9,000
4th - 7,500
5th - 6,000
6th - 3,000

Apart from the above cash prizes, there is also an incentive World Record bonus offer of USD50,000

Men's Start List - Ref.  IAAF :
http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/06/79/10/67910_PDF_English.pdf

Women's Start List - Ref. IAAF :
http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/06/79/11/67911_PDF_English.pdf


Statistics of Half Marathon (21.0975km)
World Records :
M - 58:23 - Zersenay Tadese (ERI) Lisbon 2010
W - 1:05:50 - Mary Keitany (KEN) Ras Al Khaimah 2011
World Leadings :
M - 58:47 - Atsedu Tsegay (ETH) Prague 31 Mar 2012
W - 1:06:38 - Florence Jebet Kiplagat (KEN) Ostia 25 Feb 2012

Championships  Records:
M - 58:59 - Zersenay Tadese (ERI)  Udine, Italy 2007
W - 1:06:5 - Lornah Kiplagat (NED) Udine, Italy 2007