Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede set a new North American all-comers’ course record of 1:04:37 to win the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Labelroad race, on Sunday, 14 January in Houston, Texas.
The performance moves the 29-year-old to joint eighth on the women’s world half marathon all-time list, and takes 26 seconds off the previous all-comers’ record of 1:05:03, set by Kenya’s Vicoty Chepngeno at the 2022 edition of the race.
Chepngeno was also in action in Houston on Sunday and finished second on her marathon debut,clocking 2:19:55 in the Chevron Houston Marathon, also a World Athletics Gold Label road race, behind Ethiopia’s Rahma Tusa, who clocked a PB of 2:19:33 to secure victory.
On a cool but bright morning, it was Kenya’s two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri, winner of last year’s Boston and New York marathons, who led the women’s race through to 10km. But Kebede was right there with her, running in the pack alongside male runners.
Kebede moved to the fore and had a five-second lead at 15km, which she passed in 45:42. She increased her advantage to 73 seconds by 20km and to a minute and a half by the finish, winning in 1:04:37 to Obiri’s 1:06:07.
The race in Houston was Kebede’s first since the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K in December, which she won in 1:18:47 to improve the previous women’s world best for the distance achieved in a stand-alone 25km race.
Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba was third in Houston in 1:06:24, finishing one second ahead of USA’s Weini Kelati, whose 1:06:25 on her half marathon debut improved the North American record. Ethiopia’s Mestawut Fikir was fifth in 1:07:36, while Kenya’s two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat was sixth in 1:07:52, a PB for the 44-year-old that improves her previous best set in 2014.
In the women’s marathon race, Rahma Tusa ran a cool first half before she broke away from her rivals. After passing half way alongside Chepngeno and Ethiopia’s Bosena Mogesie in 1:09:23, she was 12 seconds ahead at 35km (1:55:08) and widened the gap to 22 seconds by the finish line, winning in 2:19:33.
Chepngeno ran 2:19:55 on her debut, while Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Melesech came through for third in 2:24:50.
Leading Women’s Results at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race in Houston, Texas, the USA, on Sunday, 14 January, 2024
1. Sutume Asefa Kebede (Ethiopia) 1:04:37
2. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) 1:06:07
3. Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) 1:06:24
4. Weini Kelati Frezghi (USA) 1:06:25
5. Mestawut Fikir (Ethiopia) 1:07:36
6. Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat (Kenya) 1:07:52
7. Calli Thackery (Great Britain) 1:08:20
8. Makenna Myler (USA) 1:08:28
9. Nell Rojas (USA) 1:08:52
10. Mercy Chelangat (Kenya) 1:08:58
Leading Women’s Results at the Chevron Houston Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race in Houston, Texas, the USA, on Sunday, 14 January, 2024
1. Rahma Tusa (Ethiopia) 2:19:33
2. Vicoty Chepngeno (Kenya) 2:19:55
3. Tsegaye Melesech (Ethiopia) 2:24:50
4. Deborah Schöneborn (Germany) 2:24:54
5. Jovana de la Cruz Capani (Peru) 2:26:49
6. Bosena Mulatie (Ethiopia) 2:26:59
7. Atsede Bayisa (Ethiopia) 2:27:18
8 Leslie Sexton (Canada) 2:28:14
9. Natasha Wodak (Canada) 2:28:42
10. Philippa Bowden (Great Britain) 2:29:14
Main Photo Caption: Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede set a new North American all-comers’ course record of 1:04:37 to win the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Labelroad race, on Sunday, 14 January in Houston, Texas. Photo: World Athletics / © Kevin Morris / Houston Marathon Committee
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