Jepchirchir runs fastest-ever half marathon in women-only race

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VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRAGUE 21.1KM - KENYA'S PERES JEPCHIRCHIR WINNING THE WOMEN'S RACE AND SETTING A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR A WOMEN-ONLY HALF MARATHON

SHOWS: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (SEPTEMBER 5, 2020) (RUNCZECH - MUST COURTESY "RUNCZECH". NO RESALES)

1. START OF THE PRAGUE 21.1KM WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON

2. ATHLETES RUNNING DOWN STRAIGHT

3. PACE SETTERS LEADING THE RUNNERS AROUND A CORNER

4. KENYA'S PERES JEPCHIRCHIR LEADING THE RACE

5. JEPCHIRCHIR LEADING THE RACE WITH 11 LAPS TO GO

6. THE REST OF THE ELITE ATHLETES RUNNING AROUND CORNER WITH 11 LAPS TO GO

7. JEPCHIRCHIR LEADING THE RACE WITH 10 LAPS TO GO / REST OF THE PACK TRYING TO CHASE JEPCHIRCHIR

8. JEPCHIRCHIR LEADING THE RACE WITH SIX LAPS TO GO

9. JEPCHIRCHIR RUNNING ON THE FINAL LAP OF THE RACE

10. JEPCHIRCHIR CROSSING THE FINISH LINE IN A WORLD RECORD TIME FOR A WOMEN-ONLY HALF MARATHON OF 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES AND 34 SECONDS

11. JEPCHIRCHIR CELEBRATING

12. JEPCHIRCHIR'S WORLD RECORD TIME WRITTEN ON HER RUNNING SHOE

13. JEPCHIRCHIR STANDING ON THE PODIUM ALONG WITH HER FELLOW KENYANS, BRENDA JEPLETING (LEFT) WHO CLAIMED SECOND PLACE AND DORCAS KIMELI (RIGHT) WHO CLAIMED THIRD PLACE

STORY: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir smashed the world record for the half marathon in women-only races on Saturday (September 5), completing a 21.1-kilometre course in Prague in 1 hour 5 minutes and 34 seconds.

The 26-year-old shattered the previous record of 1:06:11, set by Netsanet Gudeta of Ethiopia in the women-only event at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018.

The overall women's half marathon record of 1:04.31 was set by Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh in a mixed-gender race at Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates in February.

Jepchirchir, who held the overall record for two months in 2017, broke away from a small field of nine runners after 20 minutes of the race in the Letna Park and reached the 10-kilometre mark in 30.32 minutes.

She slowed over the second half of the race but was still well inside the previous record.

(Production: Tim Hart)