Bekele revienta el récord de Farah en London Big Half Marathon 2020

I think it's gonna be a really interesting opportunity for these women to kind of show their form ahead of the London Marathon and we've got selections for the world half on on the line today and I think that's gonna be a big big part of this domestic field yeah plenty at stake today and in the men's race we've already heard from Kenenisa Bekele but wanted to British athletes to Hannah with interest here yeah absolutely similar to the women they're really going to be looking to have a domestic battle here be great see Derek refers back to his best to nine marathon or its best and Chris Thompson has just been around so long and he's so dependable we're really great to see him run well today sadly we lost her launched shirono over the weekend because of injury but there is Shelley woods great to see her back a two-time London Marathon champion of course last of those as you can see back in 2012 and they are away led by David we're right of picture in the black ease in terrific form spoke to Emma a few weeks ago he's of course a six-time Paralympic gold medalist Brent lakatos as well leading the way with a beard who won in Berlin actually very impressively so at the men's wheelchair race up and running a slight incline there Hannah barely perceptible but a tough little introduction to this race thank you will be for the wheelchair for the wheelchair riders here I think overall it's fairly flat course will seat these guys and these conditions as far as should see some fast times well if you're with us 12 months ago you remember that it was very blustery and very very rainy so we're really thankful for excellent conditions here today David we're of course who's also preparing for the London Marathon at the end of April it's exactly eight weeks to go today and he will be looking for a ninth title here Brent Licata snow worth a word about him married to a Steph Reid of course an 11-time world championship gold medalist who do you think will provide the stiffest test for Dave we're today I think it will be Brent look at us and he's been training in tenerife so yeah be nice to see how his training has gone there and whether he can show that on the road here I'm not sure if thing's pretty hilly there so maybe not very comparable to today but yeah I think you've given definitely give David where a good competition all just had mentioned that John Boyd Smith is in the field today part of the we're Archer Academy a little bit of a gap already opening up between these leading for Brent lakatos leading the way from David we're just tucking in there as they head towards the the Limehouse tunnel we'll keep you up-to-date with all the landmarks there's a lot of famous landmarks on this on this course so print the carcass just leading them at Indian files David we're tucking him behind and then we have a little bit of a gap to the the other athletes behind ya the sprint looks like they're setting their stall out here and going a decent clip and we should to be able to get an idea at their pace as we go through the race but these guys can tend to go pretty hard from the start course record incidentally set by David Weir 51:12 last year when he won so the wheelchair men underway and getting nicely warmed let's just remind ourselves of the the course for those of you familiar with the London Marathon course it's much of the course but in backwards in Reverse there you can see heading out towards Docklands Canary Wharf and all the financial institutions there one of the most important sectors there are over a hundred thousand people who work there back down narrow street with all the pubs and the historic areas there and then eventually through whopping flows to the former headquarters of the Sun and times newspapers over Tower Bridge from north back to south into Bermondsey along through towards Surrey keys twisting and following the River Thames path Surrey keys into Deptford and into the last mile or so and then a sharp left-hand turn and they're the iconic cutty sark looms into vision so the wheelchair race is well underway and here we are with the elite men and women Haleigh Carruthers being introduced to the crowd in the Burchfield Harrier finished fourth last year sadly most famous I guess for stumbling over the line dramatically in the London Marathon last year but thanks he shies recovered Stef Davis very much the new kid on the block I think 29 years old has already got the qualifying time for the Olympic marathon and Lille cartridge well terrific champion in 2018 she was second in this race in 2018 as well when he was wrong for the first time two years ago Derry griffiths the Welsh number one back from illness and injury had a torrid last couple of years which terrific to see him back on the start line and we wish him well mera skip serum from Kenya he was a two-time Rotterdam champion also won the inaugural Abu Dhabi marathon a couple of years ago he will probably on paper provide the the stiffest opposition to this man who scarcely needs an introduction probably almost probably the greatest track athlete of all time Kenenisa Bekele still the world record holder over 5,000 and 10,000 and of course the second fastest marathon runner in history just two seconds behind Elliot Kip sugar that wonderful run in Berlin last September so coiled Springs waiting to be unleashed on the streets of London watches ready and we are away the third running of the big half in beautiful conditions is underway in 2020 15,000 runners each with their own individual goals personal bests to try and break many people running for the very first time club runners of course British championship laces up for grabs also Olympic qualification so plenty of stories within the main story there are lots of stories today and I just want to say it's so great to see such a to met a strong domestic field assembled here it's going really really competitive in the men's and the women and just really excited to see how these guys can do on a beautiful morning as well I think there could be some fast times up for grabs and to see someone like Becca Lee running around our capital city is just always a pleasure yes spectrum on Friday he was delighted genuinely delighted to be back despite the weather when we spoke on Friday it was closing down outside he'd just flown in from rather different climes in from Addis Ababa but he loves racing here he'll be back as I say in the capital in eight weeks time going head-to-head against Elliott kick chuggy and that's always a joy to have such a well an iconic runner running in our capital city here Chris Thompson a man you know well yes some people would say Chris Thomson's a bit iconic oh here you go he's been he's been around a long time and this is what I love about Chris a he's older honestly obviously come here feeling in good shape and doesn't want to mess around and if he knows the kind of place he wants to try and show over a half marathon he's perhaps not going to sit in the group and let that go and Chris is particularly good at setting his stall out like this and it often gives them the advantage over some of the other British runners and he might be trying to get a jump on some of the British Field here yes and he started out very breezily here Chris Thompson now 38 years old probably one of Britain's most enduring athletes I mean he's he's had a terrific career obviously was in the shadow of Mo Farah on the track in the early days we think back to those European Championships walk back in 2010 10 years ago now for the last couple of years yeah when Chris Thompson is injury-free and that's not often he's still very talented that's incredibly true and that really is the point when he's not injured and when he's had a good string of training he is he is absolutely unstoppable but he looks unstoppable right now doesn't he and yeah I admire the aggressiveness he shows when he races well he had a good year last year he won the the Bristol 10k also one of the great South run back in October 2018 and behind them well as we say this is all about community today there are plenty of races on the streets of London but this one is all about introducing new runners to running maybe people who haven't run before people looking to improve their their times test themselves over after a longer distance we've got the little half we've got the the big mile later on and as we are here from Rachael the festival in Greenwich Park which sadly last year had to be cancelled due to due to the weather but this year will be will be going ahead so plenty of entertainment - to get your teeth stuck into over the next few hours here absolutely you can see just a strength in depth here and I think it's so fast fantastic you can have have company if you're a female here look at this this Harrison here and a great support from the club runners around her and it's an opportunity to run really fast and set down a PB and I love the fact that you've got the runners of all ability all running the same course and they call compared each other yeah that's all very different to your career as a track athlete of course where it was elite against elite and this this sort of event is a very different thing you've got obviously very talented I mean to be to be out here running today in beautiful sunshine and Lily said warm sunshine but it will be warming up a little by little as we go through the morning but to be to be actually in the same race as the greatest track athletes of all time in Canada typically must be a real thrill it was yeah I think it will be and I think a lot of these runners today will have looked at the weather all week and been incredibly relieved this is what they woke up to this morning this would not have been the training conditions these great athletes have gone through in the last month and so to get the chance to come out and finally get a sunny day and that be the day you're doing a race it's going to be good fun for them just about your quarters well we mentioned in several stories within stories so on the the women's side we have four women who have run the Olympic qualifying time for the marathon that's two twenty nine thirty and one of the two of them are are in this race today we are approaching five minutes into the race and on the men's side of course in terms of Olympic qualification that Callum Hawkins has already been pre-selected for that race in Tokyo and so it's a question of who's going to try and grab one of the two other places and Chris Thompson of course Andrew Vernon we should mention as well is also in the field today Derick Griffis we saw at the start Gary Hawkins Callens brother is also in the race today yes I think it's a lot of guys that will all fund their chances of getting one of those spots in one of those too many spots in Tokyo but we've got Johnny Miller who actually ran a 210 marathon last week in Seville again getting under that Olympic qualifying mark he chose to go and do it in a different race not the trial race but he's really throwing his name in the mix as well as you can see just entering the the Limehouse link is the second largest non st area road tunnel in the UK and as you can see nice welcome little decline as they make their way towards Canary Wharf and the financial district of of London and Chris Thompson there's really taking these early few kilometers off very very aggressively indeed can Aneesa be Kelly just in the middle of that shot of the chasing pack Chris Thompson were you expecting this I'm not too surprised like I said before that Chris doesn't really like to mess around you know maybe he's got an eye on this will be a good indicator for him on how his trainings going and he believes his in PB shape and he and it's good weather and it's a good course he's going to have a go at it and it's interesting to see the likes of Nick gulaab sort of waking up a bit and realizing chris is serious I don't want him getting too far ahead well that PB was 61 minutes exactly set at the Great North Run back in 2012 and of course that Kenenisa Bekele he's only other half marathon in fact was at the Great North Run as well against mo farah and Haile Gebrselassie that was in 2013 probably one of the most thrilling finishes down on the south coast there on the south east coast of all time when Kenenisa just managed to hold on against Mo Farah who came back very very strongly so he will have fond memories I'm sure of racing the half marathon see this is only our women's leader I think I want to say Nucky Harrison I've got apologize I'm pretty sure name starts at the end but yeah she she has been running very very well Samantha Harrison Harrison apologies for that no I knew where yes oh we've only got it down on earth sort of Club start but she has got a PBS 71-43 and the Great North Run and she said clearly feels pretty good today and we say similar to Chris she's just gone I know what pace I can run today I'm just gonna get out there and do it and you can see she's got great support round round from the male Club runners and exciting see if she can hold onto this yeah she's going well she's an athlete with knots ac and of course many of you watching will be recognizing your club vest there we've got morpeth of course one of the great clubs from the Northeast and there's Kenenisa Bekele with that trademark slightly buccaneering rolling action but a really economical style and kind of needs to be Kelly well where should we start with him I mean he actually one of the changes he's made in recent years he did a lot of his training until last year on his own he preferred to Train on his own he's got his own track II with his own money built an all-weather track just outside addis ababa where people like Mo Farah who have trained on occasion but now he's with here's me one of the foremost Ethiopian and athletes and actually that change I think did him did him the power of good and I remember him saying after that performance in Berlin last year that actually joining a group really helped him yeah you've got to mix things up if you've been running as many years as him you know something that worked for him ten years ago might not be the right thing for him right now and I never certain we've got whisperings and and accusations from some of his support stuff that he wasn't taking his training as seriously as he should be and I never came from him I don't think I don't think he felt that he'd backed off but I really wonder how much of that 201 41 that he did in Berlin was kind of a big like well you know I am I am still here I am still force to be reckoned with and you know sure he had been disappointed to just miss out on that world record but it really put a marker down and as you move into this Olympic year very much so yes a lot of people had as you say written him off Kennedy's has finished it's a point actually puts him when I spoke to him on Friday and he he said I can understand why people would think that because he had had a bit like Chris Thompson really who's there left of picture lots of injuries over the years but when when he's fit and firing on all cylinders he is still a very very dangerous hugely talented athlete and I think Kenenisa Bekele II really surprised a lot of people and to a certain extent himself that run in Berlin last year was was truly exceptional just to his right there incidentally number 253 Omar Ahmed from Matt Burch Valerius so he's a he's a 62 minutes half marathon runner so he's he's rubbing shoulders with half marathon and track royalty here just coming out of the Limehouse link yes he's been doing very well and a lot of road races particularly the bear me Marion some of the great great run events and it's interesting to see him how again having a go and I think again I have said it I just said it but when you wake up the conditions like this and you feel like you're in the shape of your life then hey what an opportunity just having to work a little bit harder as they come out of the Limehouse link they're going to make their way into Canary Wharf there we are there is Samantha Harrison 25 years old 71-43 her half marathon best no sign so far we assumed that Lilly partridges in that that group behind yeah and I saw I think I saw Lilly in the background but you yes a month is just sort of got stuck in here and like you said she's fairly fairly new to this level of running and she started running in 2018 that's sort of what you know what people would say what she'd sort of say and over the last few years she's gone 81 minutes 76 minutes 74 73 she does chipping away and it's gonna be interesting to see if she's got a bit more in there today so perhaps a new name too to look out for here we should say that the likes of charlotte Perdue Charlie Perdue whose Britain's number one marathon runner she's been competing in Japan recently she was the winner here at last year she's going to stat in Australia isn't she with her coach Oh Nick bid Oh getting ready for the London Marathon in in eight weeks time yeah so she ran a very good half Meriton than Japan recently but yes looking at her build up she felt it wasn't right to incorporate a right race like that fourth and fifth places in the men's race and we have her Ross Millington their left of picture with the shades yes and the other yeah the guy we've got those jake smith who's an interesting one for me he's only 21 you don't usually necessarily see sort of europeans achieving achieving much at 21 on the roads but he's actually the under-23 british record holder for the half marathon at a time that he around 60 202 to take take take Callum Hawkins British record and he's gone on to run quite well that's impressive isn't it and as you say all of that at the age of 21 yes you know if he was to run a PB today that could be a new British under-23 record well we'll keep an eye on that we're just going past Billingsgate fish market for those who like your historical landmark so a lot of this course will be familiar to people have run the London Marathon and much of this course of course it is run in Reverse from the the race that will have on the 26th of April so just coming out of the tunnel Sam Harrison looking looking pretty sprightly and of course we've got a lot of decent Club runners for company now saying to be quite well supported by these men round herand and often you never know what you're going to get here you sometimes get men getting a bit annoyed that women keeping up with them and sometimes they can be very supportive so I hope she gets the latter today well this group of three of the head of the the men's field we got Chris Thompson of course just leaning into that hill as they come round into Canary Wharf and Kenenisa Bekele he'll just pick off these early kilometers for fun if you were expecting to see Mo Farah taking part in this race and you hadn't heard he was sadly forced to withdraw a couple of weeks ago or so with a minor Achilles problem so he is just taking precautions there he's of course planning to return to the track for the Olympic Games in Tokyo back to the 10,000 meters and just on the the theme panner of Tokyo Kenan bikini who actually had said that he wasn't planning to take any part in the Olympic Games this year told me on Friday that he's day much got his name forward for selection for the Ethiopian team in the marathon in Tokyo that's what you want to hear and I wonder how much of that performance in Berlin contributed to that decision and you got to see how you recover from something like that as well you know you gotta have that confidence that you can you can recover and go again and get ready for it for another summer marathon and it's really exciting to see that he does want to be there and try and pick up another Olympic medal perhaps yeah the confidence that he will take from that performance in Berlin and I was fortunate enough to be in Berlin that day covering the race and at one point from memory he was almost 90 seconds outside and he'd kept Chagas world-record pace and he wasn't even leading the race he actually slipped a second had a bit of a stitch and got himself back and he finished like a train he really did put the gas down in the last 10 kilometers and as we saw coming through the Brandenburg Gate he was literally on course for world-record pace and just just shy of le capture Gea's world record by two seconds and that that showdown as it's being Bill in in London back here in London at the end of April makayley against le Kip Shogun the two fastest marathon runners of all time going heads ahead that could be something rather special that could truly be incredibly special and you know he ran that Berlin race was just two weeks before the INEOS challenge and I wonder ya wonder how much they were watching each other there so here we can see the group of the second women that behind Sam Harrison we can pick out Haleigh Carruthers Lily Partridge Steph Davis just those two another couple at the back there so it looks like the main group of women here chasing down Sam Davis so maybe trying to Sam sorry Sam Harrison are trying to keep in contact there yeah Hetty Carruthers we mentioned who really came to the the nation's attention with that dramatic crawl over the line it really was quite heart-rending on the course at the London mouth and last year and she just literally crawled on all fours over the line and thankfully recovered from there she's 26 years old she was fourth in this race last year wearing the the arm sleeves and then Steph Davis who's an interesting story isn't she Steph Davis just tucked in there behind the athletes in the orange there the tall gentleman there there she is just coming into view 29 years old and we described her at the top of the program is very much the new kid on the block she admitted when we spoke to her a few weeks ago that she'd never even met the likes of Steph twirl and Charlie purges she's come through a very different rooms no it's interesting you know a lot of our top female marathoners have raced against each other since they was literally since they were children you know I was talking to a 10 or 11 in there very very familiar with each other and um assumed quite interesting to drop into that group and not have the same history as the others but obviously hasn't held her back running to 27:40 is a massively respectable time and yeah just don't throw enthrone a cat among the pigeons really she works in the city so she's got a proper job a full-time job she's still without a sponsor for clapping chasers down in South London originally from Scotland from Glasgow and just joined a running club ran through University for really for fun just to keep fit and active and she's a big part runner as well and as you said that 229 227 40 comfortably inside the Olympic qualifying mark so she is a very serious contender for a place in the Olympic Games in Tokyo we go back back to the leader the men's race here and you see Chris Thompson is really trying to sit with all that looks like a tight Bend there Chris Thompson really trying to stick on Becca Lee there yeah very much so just lost his balance there but said Chris Thompson really showing terrific early form here looks in us if you look at the facial expression there a man who means business here and what a thrill it must be for him regardless of what happens in the rest of this race to be going toe to toe just the two of them with the great Kenenisa Bekele now it's great to see Chris Thompson sticking on this and we were wondering whether we get to see many many of the bricks here whether a dominant performance at the front and it's brilliant secret and amazing so good vocal supports on the streets Canary Wharf cheap station just on Parsons is still Samantha Harrison it's still looking good she's broken clear of a group of of male runners she was running with we don't know at the moment we're just trying to find out what sort of lead she has and we've seen the likes of Lily partridge and Stef Davis and Haddie Carruthers in that chasing fat but so far we look at shoulders so in this stage when we've got the on the head-on shot and are we looking for how relax the shoulders are in the face what are you seeing here she looks good she looks it's a pretty comfortable normal pace for her you know she's a normal stride looks pretty comfortable and it's early days she's gonna try and keep this up for close to another hour which is just I love I love the element of racing over this distance and you've got to pace yourself and you've got to measure your effort correctly but to me she looks great so far last year we had staffed well of course and Charlie Purdue who eventually came through to win the course record in the women's race was set by Charlotte Purdue at two years ago that's 70 29 so that would be that would be the target here for Samantha Harrison no and right now she will be a target for this other female runners as well I mean for them from just counting in my head I think she's got about eight or ten seconds over the other women in this race but they have got the advantage of being in a big group and Samantha Harris at the moment he's running a little bit solo but should be so that in training she might be fine she she doesn't know stressed about it to me just twisting and turning as you can see their way through Canary Wharf Cabot square they've just gone past over a hundred thousand people were everyday in this part of London headquarters too many of the financial institutions and big banks and they pick their way through this this area it's Samantha Harrison still looking very good prize money incidentally on offer today quite generous for the the British athletes $4,000 for the winner there are prize bonuses time time bonuses as well and back to the men's racer just coming down this hill that's interesting to see the mouse clicks here we can see this set off you really quite aggressively there and they have settled down a little bit but they're probably still operating at around 60 two-minute pace you reckon yep absolutely they start off pretty quickly there with 424 well record paces is around 4:30 so that was pretty quick that opening that opening mile you mentioned Chris Thompson with a PB of 61 dead it was operating right in PB shape and and yeah maybe you think really fancies happened to go at that today but he's been notorious for going off aggressively Chris and I yeah I think I can see him holding on to good time today from what it looks like so far well no sign at the moment of Mayor skips RM the the Kenyan who was really given more prominence I suppose after the withdrawal of Lawrence sure oh no it's a real shame for Lawrence Corona who was really selected I guess to replace Mo Farah when he had to pull out a couple of weeks ago and and Sharona of course the in for marathon runner having won his last three marathons in Chicago brilliantly and then Boston he'll be defending his title in Boston in a few weeks time and then Amsterdam as well very much the inform athlete so just a precaution I think he felt a bit of a hamstring I think on on Saturday morning when he went for his morning jog no it shows him got a protect his body if he's got these marathons coming up but you had a predicted you might had one a so what we get an awful lot of the Ethiopia versus Kenya they've got a massive distance running tradition and it's great to see those two nations battling out but I'd rather see Ethiopia versus Britain and that sort of getting treated to now Chris Thompson of course married to Jimmy Simpson who you know well from your from your your days and 1500 meter ring that was a very strong era I was looking back at your terrific run in daegu just last night just to remind myself and they were they were healthy days for 1500 meter running weren't they for our country oh absolutely now we've got a great tradition admittance running on the female side irmak and the male side as well and it obviously you know it's great to see yeah it's great to see just British running in general is just doing fantastic at the minute and it's so exciting in an Olympic year Chris Thompson there's a four times at London Marathon athletes and of course in terms of his track pedigree we great to see Chris make another Olympic team and when he went to 2012 but you still got a lot with injuries it was obviously delighted to compete in a home games but not be able to give it but perhaps the best representation of himself or struggling with injury so just to see him still out here fighting to make another Olympic team is really inspiration well here's the chasing pack in the women's race and again we can still see Steph Davis there left of picture in the whites on Lennie partridges in there as well penny Carruthers the all chasing down Samantha Harrison who's we think about what eight or nine seconds ahead I've got a really strong group here in if there is any wind out there that could be could be making this job harder for the ladies to catch Sam Harrison and they won't be happy to deal with it they're really very well sheltered and protected in this group of men Lilly partridge incidentally is the one wearing the the white headband back to the men's wheelchair race and we've got Brent Lakatos still leading the way with David Weir David we're in second place so it's as we were there sit Barry in third place Danny Sid Barry from Great Britain as well just from a technical point of view can adjust zoomin on Kennedy Civic le what is most impressive about his running style it's just so economic and it always has gotten me there's not much difference from this track running style to his road running star people talk about how you might need a different technique but he just looks so smooth and it's the cadence as well and he can just clip your legs over like that it's so it looks unstoppable doesn't it and Ron Chris Chris was a good running style as well but you really tell them miles they've gone into both of these guys turn to tell them run like this well that back on the highway which is where they started the race what about 23 minutes ago and they're heading now towards a whopping you see a bit of a glance behind Chris there sometimes people say that's a sign of weakness I don't think that look like a sign of weakness today I think he's just assessing assessing what's going on around him and kind of trying to see whether he really is as clear in second as he feels and they they really have got to rush the field here at Hunt's I can't really see the people behind them getting get you an ear these two today and if you're Kelly Civic le you know that with all due respect to Chris Thompson your your track record speaks for itself does he just use Chris perhaps as a little bit of company for the majority of the race and then just move away in the latter stages in terms of his preparation for London in eight weeks time yes that is what you would anticipate on paper but I'm pretty sure Chris is a is a ferocious competitor in them he junkie generally never know what what happened to him better he couldn't get out of it vaporizing can I had a bit of cold get up it could be tiring a little strain and anything could happen and that is the beauty of racing they've got a race it today but as you say you what you would expect the easy-open to pull away from christen and unlike McKerlie chris thompson hasn't flown in from a different continent in the last couple of days so we'll keep an eye on the men's race but Stef Davis back to her to say 29 years old 7258 personal best in the in the half-marathon she's saying a few weeks ago that she died dearly like to turn semi-professional so she's a complete amateur at the moment and she she lined up in the London Marathon last year with the elite for the first time and what a story that would be if she were able to pinch a place for Tokyo at the Olympic Games this summer to do it alongside apart a full-time job I think is is particularly amiable and Haleigh Carruthers worksurface NHS radiographer as well and we've got and in a Windham Davis towards the back as well we think she's a full-time doctor at least a part-time doctor and that's that's really impressive to balance those elements all together and should be a very busy NHS doctor at the moment for the reasons I'm sure we don't need to mention yes extraordinary isn't it that they are able to combine these two careers Lily Partridge has been training as she does often at this time of the year down in the south of Spain hasn't she been going well no mercy is a tremendous region Callum Hopkins has used that a lot and we've got Ben Connor Lily's boyfriend who's not racing state but he's been doing his preparations for London Marathon down there it's them being myself twice and I can say it's a great place I've generally very similar weather to be get today cold cold and bright I think this would be what Lily's been experiencing for the last few last month or so yeah she'd be posting quite a few very any unviewable pictures of very warm weather over the last few weeks yeah Aldershot farm and district of course and with likes of Steph 12 so looking good these three just clicking off these early kilometers they are second third and fourth respectively with Sam Harrison still out in front we've got number 301 there Dan Robinson I think he actually coaches Haley's coach so he's keeping an extra place I own his athlete today but he's also very competitive runner himself so let's see what he can manage today for himself I don't if you saw but they they made a film together didn't know they've got quite a lot of good views of of what she went through after after that dramatic finishing in London last year and after she finished in the London matter she went back as you say to to a full-time drop the very next day a radiographer business as usual Kenenisa just picking up some some drinks there yeah it's interesting see Chris Chris not by the way the drink that he master he really has attacked past that drink station and taking the shorter line and he's really as making Becca Lee won't work back Haley work for this isn't it this is an aggressive performance they've gone through five miles and they're just working their way now towards Tower Bridge the famous tab bridge of course which will take them from the north of the river to the south but Chris Thompson yeah looks looks as though he's got the bit between his teeth and and really looks as though he's serious about about this big half today that's an interesting perspective with the drink as well you know some people would say I don't need a drink in a half marathon it's not hot it's a oh here we go through it towards the end of the men's wheelchair race here well Brent the Carter sir has put in a bit of a spurt here the Canadian and in second place there Danny sit buried in the red and David we're in third place of course record held by David we're 51:12 we'll keep you up to date with the the men's wheelchair race as they approach the finish line but Chris Thompson on the cobbles through whopping turning on the gas yeah he's really having a go here Chris and it must just feel good and why not and it's C Kenenisa Bekele e try and get back on terms with him here I'm not sure not sure you would have you would have expected a burst that he probably sort of settled down and thought they were just just out for a run to gathering and Chris Thompson's got other ideas and Chris Thomas is just third diehard confessed oh isn't he he never knows when he's beaten and just to remind you Chris Thompson 38 years old now and it's just so good to see him injury-free it is a 10k in the round 28 30 as quick isn't it it is quick this weather is the strength of the marathon training who come through for these two favored they should you'd like to see them how to hold onto a really fast pace and not sort of falter in the latter half in last year's race we saw Mo Farah actually several times drop off the pace and quite considerably far more in fact than the gap between these two here and then put in a few surges just to test the the opposition and eventually came through in a pretty much trademark Mo Farah sprint finished two to make it two wins out of two looks to me like Vickie Lee's getting this head down and easy is he's working on closing that gap kind of slowly there cobbles a tricky as well it could just be didn't go shake these couples and then get back on terms of Chris Thompson so into the second half of this race 21 kilometers of course and Chris Thompson continues to look good here with the still double world-record holder over 5,000 and 10,000 meters we always say for many people or probable best track athletes of all time where is he for you is he at the very best he was so so so dominant when he was winning those Olympic titles and he was a joy to watch so yeah I'd say back to the women's race and for me that gap is closing Samantha Harrison still leading the well still looking pretty comfortable but I think the the chasing three of Carothers Davis and partridge just starting just to reel her in here yeah I'd like to see some Harrison getting her getting a bit of help here she got the perfect male Club runner right now that would really support her kind of feel feel sorry for her that she said been out on her own a little bit incidentally we have a new world record in the women's half marathon set just a week or so ago at at the rack half marathon as often is the case a barbell Hashanah came through in 64 31 that was 20 seconds off the the previous world record so that's the benchmark if you like in world terms of course it's the world leaders world the course record on this big half course 70 29 as I mentioned that set by Charlotte perd you at two years ago trying to count back to the oh here we go sis the some or the wheelchair riders coming in yeah Simon Lawson coming through again he's a previous winner of the Great North Run Shelly whoops leading the women's looking as though she's blowing hard of course coming back from having a baby in in any sport he's a real challenge and an all credit to Shelly woods for trying to get back to the very very best of her sports after giving birth to her baby leo last year absolutely and here we are back to about the lead of the men's race and that as predicted Kenley's typically has got himself back up to Chris Thompson and they can perhaps share that workload at the front and it's be interesting now the the psyche Chris Thompson when he when you make a move like that and he still comes back here we go through 437 place again it really are operating closest to one hour dead for this half marathon which you might be some people watching that have tried a half marathon themselves that think [Applause] superhuman and to see these guys do it today absolutely yeah we could be in for a course record no Farrah holds the course record here 60 140 so we'll keep an eye on that real quality and actually we've got the best of both worlds here haven't we we've got British interests very much in the form of Chris Thompson and then of course as expected that needs to be Kelly one of the best if not the best over the track leading the way so terrific head-to-head here no I'm you know whatever happens over this next half an hour so for me to see Chris Thompson this aggressive at this pace throw moves down on Olympic champion is just it's just great for me and really look forward to seeing what he could do in two months time at the the second and third places in the women's wheelchair race chasing Shelly woods he was leaning as we saw Mel Nichols in second place who were represented Great Britain in the Paralympic Games and eaten room rainbow Cooper in third place so second third in the women's wheelchair what a gap behind Shelley woods quite an age gap here we got Mill Nichols a 42 with all her experience and Eden Raven Cooper at 18 and what must be really fun Frieden to learn or someone of that age and toe the line with her just about to cross Tower Bridge as we see so back to the women's race over half an hour of running approaching halfway for the women and Samantha Harrison still going well the knots AC rope and I think you're right Chris I think that gap is a tiny bit smaller but nothing is said here we go Kenny typically really stretching out across Tower Bridge and perhaps he worked perhaps Chris woke him up a bit with that move past the drink station a few miles ago and he's really once the Stanford's authority on this race and find out how much he's gotten his legs ahead of ahead of his next marathon well of course in eight weeks time he will be crossing this very same bridge this iconic Tower Bridge but in the other direction and there he is just reeling in one or two of the wheelchair athletes as well and it feels as though thee the hand brakes come off is nicely lubricated and warm everything's feeling good Chris Thompson was very aggressive and now there is a definite gap opening up there and I think it's a gap that's widening and widening and barring any major problems Hanna from here you feel as though it's really how fast and how quickly Kenenisa Bekele he wants to go from here absolutely I think and Chris has probably under a favor here giving him in a race in that first half and set him up really nicely for fast time here and yeah perhaps he has got half an eye on that course record and just so over setting a bit of a warning to his competitors well the confidence we can't we keep repeating this but it's worth bearing in mind that many people had written off Kenenisa Bekele his his record in the full marathon all his achievements on the track doesn't make particularly good reading he's right he's won only three of nine marathons he's had a couple of DNFs he had a DNS so he didn't start a race in Dubai a few years ago and so for many people who thought he would just make the transition effortlessly from the track to the road yeah that isn't a foregone conclusion is it it's not it's not as easy as people think absolutely not people people just go you got old II mean this says you'll be fine and perhaps we could even say Makena say the same for mo farah you know it may it made him look a bit a bit more human you know and he can the way he could run away from people on the track that hasn't transferred in the marathon yet for him and you can see why you would make that decision to have another go at the track this year and perhaps we'll see him try the marathon again after after this track campaign this summer but and it's certainly not a foregone conclusion that track for me cause Road for no absolutely not Kelly just looking at his watch on several occasions there I think he feels though this is a day the conditions are good there's very little wind it's bright it's sunny there's no rain it's nice and dry under foot and now he's just imagining that he's in the the hills in in toto above Addis Ababa at altitude where he's been doing a lot of his training those wonderful trails for some of you watching who may have heard of of the conditions around that is absolutely perfect so Kenenisa Bekele has broken free from chris thompson the question is in the women's race can sam harris and break free again from the chasing pack I saw a few nervous nervous looks back from her and it must be yeah it's kind of nerve-wracking be out be out on the front that and then we should be wondering every one of these male runners that comes on her shoulder I had no visa is that one of the females are they are they back to me yet and that can be stressful and I hope she can stay relaxed and whatever happens if the women if the women catcher let's hope she can join them and and just really sort of push on for it for a PB yes that can be demoralizing Carter when you don't know what's behind you and as you mentioned already one it's it's a sign of weakness of looking behind we haven't seen in fairness Samantha Harrison look behind once yet but she must feel she can hear certainly the pitter-patter of running shoes behind her and what she doesn't know at this stage is who's running shoes they are but we can see even allowing for the full shortening of that head-on shot we can see that the three chasing female runners are getting past closer and closer so now when it was made and a few months ten seconds a few miles ago but she's still maintaining that gap she's definitely not really hitting the wall or anything like that Lucy maybe Partridge and Steph Davis there and we've got hailey Carruthers standing in the shot as well yeah Danny Partridge is just starting to open up a little bit of a gap over Steph Davis and then maybe what four or five meters behind we have hailey Carruthers so those three just starting to splinter there and again just looking at slightly obscured at the moment the Lilly Partridge looking pretty comfortable and looking very nice and relaxed no she has a neat opening style of Kenenisa Bekele Ian and here Lou little expert living looks pretty good fashion flashy but in the mile so that she's got a great economy that you live for an American runner I think she having fun trying out these roads today just a fashion detail is that a new addition have not seen a wear a headband many times before he's pretty cold out there you might get cold ears today you see stuff Dave is taking on taking on a gel there you know that be part of her preparation for the marathon is by really practicing fueling during the race is a big big part pairing for a marathon and today is an opportunity for her to try that and I think many many of the runners out there today will be trying some the tactics that they might take forward into the next marathon you see Haley Carruthers there in fourth place at the moment just trying to hold on to those women as their as the group fragments a bit they've really worked together as a group for that first 3035 minutes and it's starting to spread out now and of course on the right on the right shoulder of Stef Davis and again she her office is actually only what a half a mile or so away from from this bridge where she works in the in the city in the financial services industry there's a bit more traffic around there for run around there yeah these runners have the freedom of the streets of London it really is a real privilege and there is that who rather than the marathon last year only three years after taking up the sport so again her her rise through the the rankings if you like has been pretty impressive as well as you see really really has got a good group of men there to work with and they are closing in on Samantha Davis here inter who we say what do you reckon another half a man at the mile and Lily will be back with her I think once they hit a to D Street and get into Berman Z we may well see a group of three become a group of four tower hotel just on the right there headquarters for the the media operation for the London Marathon so many of the athletes in action today will be back there giving their press conferences before the 40th London Marathon on the 26th of April that's exactly eight weeks to go today it is that I think it's if it's anything like the weather is today they'll be absolutely pretty alone certain it will look great yes I mean in the past on the mouth and in recent years has been almost too warm hasn't it we've had some extraordinary conditions now they're coming down off the the middle of the bridge and for anybody who's run in either direction you'll know that obviously there's a rise up to the apex of the bridge and then a gentle decline so they're enjoying that now also enjoying himself on the streets of Berlin Z Kenenisa Bekele II but that's a wonderful easy easy action so economical and he's checking his watch isn't he I think he's looking for a time here I think you must be I think he'll have an idea of what his training has indicated he is capable of but it's one thing to do it in training you want to come out and show it off on the roads but that gap he's opened up on on Chris and goes over sort of six or seven minutes he is absolutely lost Chris and looking really really good I here we go in some I'll split so you can see we've done the damage they're jumping from 450 to 436 I must have bit of an incline in that to make it 450 out of that but 436 is really going some and that like we say round round about that 60 minute pace and it'd be it'd be fantastic to see a sub 50 here today looking absolutely supreme here and if he can continue this and get a decent time that again will give him huge confidence going into the London Marathon and again that head-to-head with Elliot Kip Jogi and of course since bikini was last in action in London we've had the historic sub 2 hour marathon mark broken by Kip shogi in Vienna last last October I asked Kelly whether he'd been watching that he said of course I did I was watching on the television and of course that has also given him wetted his appetite and actually he did say a few weeks ago that he had that level of support as well and the conditions he fancied himself to go into two hours as well as gonna come back to the women so we have got yeah you can see Lily partridge really has got Samantha Harris in their sights that's the closest we've seen Lily Lily to what anyone any female to Samantha Harrison trying to see if Lily's bought any of the other females with her because today there are spots on the line for the world half marathon championships there are a month today in Poland and the selection policy states the first three British women over the line will get automatic selection flat championships and so you know even if Lily does catch the month a chance more presumably a first GP Wester she can pull this off and it's a fantastic motivation for these ladies out and to go to a global championships in the half marathons just a really cool event I think yes there's Championships on the 29th as you say of March in Gdynia in Poland so at the moment we have Samantha Harrison still leading the way but her lead is being eroded stride by stride from the Lilly Partridge in that second place there with the white headband and then just a little bit further back we have Stef Davis from clapping chasers the Glasgow born runner who's very much new sewer elites running in this country and now she's almost up on her shoulder this is important to me what happens to Samantha Harrison now she's done great tenacity and strength to get this far in the lead anyway but it's really what was her head space now and nearly get pulls up on her shoulder well with your former racing brain on what would you do if you were Lilly go straight past yeah you go stay past yeah don't stop let's see what do you do to get rid not just say yeah yeah well done she might Lily might be settling there but you can't tell you got this whole whole group of men beside her you know you can't tell her she wants to move food but she can't because she's got not got the space right now I was just looking for the reaction whether it was gonna be a little glance to the right by Samantha Harrison just to acknowledge the fact that Lili Partridge was now up on her shoulder she must have felt it coming she must have suspected that they would be they would be there or there about yeah absolutely bit similar to coach Thompson maybe maybe somehow Harrison was that I can hold this smiling you know this this pace for this long I'm just gonna do it if anyone wants to beat me they're gonna have to do it so the women through eight miles in just outside forty three minutes and here are the the men's wheelchairs coming around and its Brent Lakatos the Canadian who is going to come through to take a terrific victory in forty eight forty five a terrific performance by him and that is a new course record from Brent McCarthy's smash David where's course record wow that's quite some quite some performance today here we go back to the women's very spot well either Lily's tried to go past and Samantha Harrison hasn't let her or Lily just want to settle for a bit and link and gather before the finish I have got a lot of company though there isn't a huge amount of room for Lily to have automatically gone into without moving quite wide deliberately give the ladies space and be a okay I'll respect the fact that there is a race going on between these two these men are running for their their personal best and their performances as well so they've got every right to to run the correct line for them but yes Samantha Harrison may be that nearly won't really wake her up a little bit there she's put a bit of a spurt she hasn't lost ground on Lily Partridge so we've now got two women virtually glued together in the women's race approaching 45 minutes here so they're on their way to mile nine we've already had Brenda Curtis in the wheelchair race and here is David we're coming home in second place David where who was winner here of course in 2019 not to be his day today David we're coming home in second place behind Brenda Curtis will get his thoughts afterwards so a second second place for David we're in the three years of this race we cut to another Brit in the second place Chris Thompson holding on to second place here I really set its stall out and dropped everyone apart from Kenenisa Bekele 'ya multi time Olympic champion he's done really well to drop everyone else and I be good to see him hold on for a hold on for a good get PB or a good marker before his marathon but he's working hard but that's crazy we're excited you know I think you'll be enjoying himself it's a nice sunny day but I do think it's going to be a hard next 15 minutes for him on his own I don't know who invented the expression no pain no gain but I'd like it to be Chris Thompson because that's very much is his philosophy isn't it yeah see no stranger to hard work none of these guys are that trained at this level but and I'm sure he's been in in this level of pain multiple times in the last few months probably this week to be honest [Music] so place in the men's wheelchair race coming through now in just outside 51 minutes and it's John Boy Smith coming through very very quick in the men's wheelchair race today we got a new course record subject to confirmation there from Brenda Curtis 50 minutes John Boy Smith talipes I'm happy about something yeah he does frustrated perhaps there is the person troubled in that last few miles that we didn't see I do feel either one wasn't any destruction of the course and obstructions or anything like that where the riders weren't trying to get some reaction from John Boy Smith later on find out what that reaction was for just to remind you the the course record in the men's wheelchair race prior to today 51 12 Brenda Curtis has gone sub 49 today so conditions absolutely perfect here absolutely here we go back to first and second in the women's race with Samantha Harris and the Lilly Partridge this is really hot in out to be a quite a battle between these two yeah Lily's worked away back onto Samantha Harris and then and it just seemed to be kind of surging each other haven't yet seen Lily take the lead so whether she's just content to bide her time and do one big move later on or whether she's not capable whether she's right on her limit right now approaching 50 minutes and Samantha Harrison who's been leading in the women's race almost from the word go but now has Lily partridge for company and from here you would expect based on previous performances and stature of athlete you would expect Lily Partridge to go on and win this race but still plenty of twists and turns to go yes you're right Lily puppy has competed in in more high-level varied races than then samantha has that it's it's you know you do need to build up that sort of experience over these races but Samantha Harris is doing it she's doing it very well to go out and put yourself in the lead like this is you can learn a lot more about your your fitness and your form and it's it's great to see someone be brave like that and just sort of roll the dice and have a go so nice race shaping up here in the the woman's Samantha Harrison looking good still looking pretty composed and we're slightly surprised perhaps that Lily Partridge didn't go go ahead at the moment this man Kenenisa Bekele has the streets of East London to himself that was that was a smooth drink Kate wasn't it that's that's what he's going to be wanting to repeat in eight weeks time here in a marathon that's the you really want to be nailing that sort of that sort of drink station activities you don't want to see some of the nightmares some of the athletes have yes and I think of Mo Farah with no disrespect to mo when he talking about making the transition from track to road and one of the most important things quickly a marathon running of courses is the whole technique of taking on board sustenance and liquid and and most struggled if the truth be known in the in the early stages it's my question before we cut back cut back to the women's race was would you rather run 21:41 in berlin in in a normal race conditions we want you to experience the Olympic Games for you but not not the special pacemakers and all the other stuff that Elliot Oggy had in this up to or would you rather brakes up to what would give you more confidence as a competitor I think breaking the the bonafide a war record yeah I think would do that absolutely yes because there are people who would would question of course the the validity really of that sub to our race because the conditions were not of course ratified for world record purposes for reasons I'm sure most people watching this walk will know it was just a an exercise to see if it's humanly possible to do it and now we know the answer is yes but of course it wasn't ratified as a world record any district n Anita Becky Lee's got every right to sit at home watching that two weeks after after running a fantastic race in Berlin and go yeah I could have done that I just really hope we get to see them go in their head-to-head in eight weeks and then we can kind of see who comes out on top well who will come out on top here because Samantha Harrison and Lilly Partridge almost stride for stride and definitely Partridge is looking pretty composed there of the two perhaps yes no Harrison doesn't kind a bit more bit more distressed but she's but she's pushing it you know she's she is really testing Lilly here she's not leaving it down to sprint finish or anything like that and yet little Lilly does look smooth but like I said a few minutes ago I haven't haven't seen Lilly trying to set her dominance over sat over Samuel and it curious to me that she doesn't want to sort of stamp her authority on it and really test her she's happy just to sit in there but that might be part of a race plan here they've still got 20 minutes of running let it so long it's a long way yeah just under 20 minutes to be the Charlotte Purdue course record don't think we're on course record pace here in the in the women's race we may well be in the men's race because Kenenisa Bekele has what around ten minutes of running left just under ten minutes of running left and it's really Kennedy set against the clock but it's an interesting little battle shaping up here between Sam Harrison and Lilly partridge in second place and the gap so the rest is perhaps getting a little bit a little bit longer last we saw a Stephanie Davis in first third place with Haley Carruthers just behind her so it would be interesting to see with that order stayed the same whether it's changed at all but with these two it'd be great you know they're coming up to ten miles here and 10 miles in in 53 meant just outside 53 minutes and Beyond pastry on 70 minutes which would be through really really impressive so anything in that ballpark of 53 54 55 minutes through 10 miles we really impressive for these two and for anyone out there sort of a keen hobby jogger not happy chocolate that's that's it I mean keen a keen runner these these ladies are probably around five and a half minute miling which would give you a park runner around seventeen and a half minutes yeah I'd like to see how many how many females around a seventeen and a half minute part run this week absolutely right alone you forward them back-to-back there's some excellent Saturday morning context there from that from Hannah so still looking good you can hear the breathing actually it's nice just to hear the the pitter-patter of of running shoe on on tarmac the breathing sounds nice and and measured and nice and even and in Lilly partridges case all those hours and days spent down in the south of Spain training in warm weather over the winter this is where we all find out how effective that's been known it so it's quite quiet Spectator wider wise out there interline look forward to getting back back downtown and a bit more with the crowd atmosphere a bit but also it's kind of pure this isn't it you say the sound of their feet just they've got the couple of gentlemen for company but really it's just gesture to women fighting out on the roads further round their course Kenenisa Bekele he's still checking his watch every few minutes into the last couple of miles or so and well a reminder that the course record 61 forty and they're well just slumming up a little bit in that eleventh mile yeah so that that pace if you you know that it's hard to tell with the cumulative time but for 444 is bang-on sixty two minute pace but obviously you can see there's a string of miles are faster than that we'd be looking for an average of 434 for a 60 minute half marathon so yeah he's not very far off is he he's not going to be far off at all it depends on how badly he wants it as we've seen several times he can come good in the latter stages the the track speed I suppose it says a little bit for jitters to talk about track speed for somebody who has not raced on the track for so long but it's something shorter that you never really lose the instinct to to push in the final stages of a race still stay with you and he does he does look tired and that doesn't concern me but I like this he could have come here and coasted you know he's clearly in fantastic shape he could have come here in just one but no he really wanted to test himself and you can see that that aggression and fatigue in his face but but look below the neck she can't see it no that's what you like just blow the way so you can just see his legs that momentum keep keeping going and he's really wanting to test this body today well I think it's a new revitalized Kenenisa Bekele we're watching here and have seen over the last year or so he he was well aware of the criticism that perhaps he wasn't putting in the work that he was maybe being distracted by his many business interests he has a number of hotels in Addis he has other business interests as well other demands on his time was he putting in the work was he doing the hard work you know he's 37 years old now did he have the appetite for it and I think as we mentioned at the top of the program that that blistering performance in Berlin last year rather put paid to all those suggestions absolutely and now do you think he would have he would have liked to have a test today what do you think would rather had a solo run I think you'd like to have had a test and with all due respect to Chris Thompson and the other British runners and to Marius Kipps RM who we haven't really seen much of today I think he was looking forward to in fact I know because I asked him he was looking forward to going here toe to toe with lawn chair oh no the Kenyan runners just about to embark on Tower Bridge and what a moment this is for all these amateur runners club runners many people perhaps running a half-marathon distance for the first time this this is in many ways in terms of running in London this is as good as it gets running with no traffic on a warm sunny Sunday morning over Tower Bridge an absolutely brilliant feeling absolutely and I think you know if you can we have your friends and family out there cheering you on it'd be pretty pretty easy to really enjoy today and I hope those runners are still a reasonable way to go and many of these runners of course we'll be using this big half as a preparation for the London mouths and themselves celebrating its 40th birthday this year it's come a long long way from that first ever London Marathon in 1981 now a small change in the in the women's race here not by much but Lily Partridge now leading the way I suppose wondering yeah when when was the first time we were going to see Lily going to the front I think these ladies probably got around three miles left to go and Lily will be in heavy training for the marathon she will it tape it down for this you will want to feel good but yeah I wonder how much of it is how fast can I run those last three miles what what can my body do under 10 miles of fatigue and it could just be an element of her she's now going to unleash but we'll see him in some of Harrison's been tough words about to win the women's wheelchair race what a return to form for Shelley Woods who took time out of course to have her baby last year and has been trying to get herself back into fitness and this is a terrific return here from London mouth and champion is victorious just outside 62 minutes so a winning return to London for Shelley woods her first ever victory here in the big half that is a big performance from Shelley woods in 2020 nice to be weather Samantha Harrison can battle back onto Lilly partridge and it's just you're going to be running under quite a lot of fatigue yeah to me Lily looks good it would be nice to know who's in who's in third as well but Lily Partridge does look like she's pushing on to take a British British title here is also on perhaps further in this half marathon yeah for grabs not just the win of the race itself to some prize money qualification for the world half marathon Championships as we mentioned in Poland at the end of this month and Lily Partridge on all fronts looking good her half marathon personal best is 1731 that was set in reading back in 2015 she's she's run a very measured race here didn't panic when Samantha Harrison took that early lead she was quite a way ahead wasn't she in truth in those early miles she was and I think there's a tendency in these races it's hard not to go out fast someone Paris is really held on to her pace well but I think what we what we're starting to see how there be a lot of maybe more of the male runners that perhaps over reached in the first half of this race they look like Lili just seems to be passing man after man after man and that's that can be really good morale boost and that I think that will help her run fast but Samantha Harris and I like that she's not she's not got herself isolated she's still got company here and that's keeping her in touch with Lilia but I wouldn't write her up quite yet but to me Lily does look pretty strong yes all credit to Samantha Harrison could easily have fold it but she's keeping on the coattails of Lily partridge and still a comfortable margin between second and third place we've got Steph Davis and Hayley Carruthers who are the the chasing two athletes so it's a partridge in one just ahead of Sam Harrison in second place and the clock ticking down now to the finish of the men's race and that Kenenisa Bekele lee once he hits our bridge he had pretty much stolen a march on Chris Thompson still working hard still aggressive and I think he's got this course record held by mo farah in his sights here 6140 remember mo farah who had the benefit of company last year he had his that training partner with him in the latter stages of the race so there was a definite sprint finish and he's working his way in the the final couple of minutes of this race towards the iconic to start the famous tea clipper be waiting for him in that Greenwich what kind of what messages has sent you back Kenan is typically this sends a message yeah this sends a message to say are you watching and it keeps you again yeah what do you think he capable of them to in Tokyo he's capable of this on his own I think he's capable of a medal there's no doubt about it coming into the streets of Greenwich then many people will be familiar with these sights Kenenisa Bekele well I think he's got a course record here this is the center of branch and any minute now Cathy Sartre will loom into vision he saw it what less than 200 meters to go Kenenisa Bekele it's been a terrific effort here Kenenisa Bekele is going to smash the course record today a big performance from a big athlete here but Kelly is back to winning ways in London here terrific performance just outside 60 minutes he has smashed mo Farah's course record of 61 40 a winning performance here from Kenenisa Bekele the best track athlete of all time and is that a warning I wonder for Elliot Kip joget for the London Marathon which will take place on these very streets in 8 weeks time here we go Chris Thompson coming in for second he's held on really well out there on his own I think he's going to have a decent time as well Chris Thompson has run really well here today made the early running a very very aggressive first half of the race for Chris Thompson Thompson just outside 61 minutes I think he's about 5 seconds almost personal best damage absolute phenomenal running running most that second half so though I think that is absolutely fantastic run from Chris and I bet it'll be very very happy with that it's a British half marathon title and second place overall is a great day well well done Chris Thompson so the first two home in the men's race Kenan needs to be Caylee a comfortable course record for him and Chris Thompson just outside the sauna set just outside his lifetime best which is 61 seconds dead set at the great run back in 2012 Lilly Partridge then on her way and that gap between Partridge and Harrison is growing and like I said she's just picking off these male runners and I think she's really just just looking forward and trying to trying to see how how far she can finish this race rainbow Cooper finishing second in the women's wheelchair race and chick Smith third home in the men's race the youngster you marked our card in you earlier on today Hannah a terrific performance and Mel Nichols coming through in third place in the women's wheelchair race at the top three home in the women's wheelchair race Shelley woods coming home on her return to action here in London and the top three home in the men's race with Kenenisa Bekele ahead of Chris Thompson jake Smith there in third perhaps taking something off is a British under-23 record there but booking his place for the world half marathon as it looks like Lilly Partridge and Samantha Harrison will be doing the same Lilly just looks first time I think that's I think she's up in the effort there and up in the tempo yeah the shoulders just starting to rock a little bit and a little bit more intense I think on the shoulders and the face of Lilly partridge and there we are Ross Millington has also come home but take Jake smithy a what a what a terrific performance will bring you confirmation of his time as soon as you kappa that must be very close to a lifetime best 38-yard christmas shaken hands of the 21 year old jake smith it's quite a nice range there bossman interleukin really does a really strong performance l frost as well and looking forward to seeing how he goes over the next few weeks earlier partridge then 63 minutes the course record remember 70 29 help Iyer Charlie Perdue from two years ago she'll be watching I'm sure from Australia with interest here because there's so much for grabs here we've got places for the world half marathon championships as we say British Championships as well and of course there's a stepping stone for many of these athletes for the London Marathon in eight weeks time and qualification places for Tokyo 2020 later in the summer absolutely in there this makes me optimistic I think ladies trainings must be going quite well to be to be looking this good in it sir it's nice to see her out running there and it's a lot of hard hard miles over the winter and as a marathon II don't get the chance to race much and that's always so I've seen the hardest thing for me he's been all that time training and then you only get to do your event a couple of times a year it must be really fun to come out like this and a half marathon and and show off your hard work you absolutely right and Mo Farah know amongst others felt that that difference very acutely once he stepped away from the track not racing anywhere near as frequently and of course all your training building up for just one or two races a year Lilly Partridge look at the determination on her face here she really senses that this is well it should be victory but it's question of the time as well 7031 her personal best but she's only a couple of seconds outside the course record today one day with Samantha Harrison running so aggressively in that first half it's going to help her help pull her through to help pull Lily through - first time here not to Matri sir she overtakes him famous for helping a competitor over the line in the London Marathon when it was extremely hot a few years ago but I'm not sure he'd like to be getting overtaken by Lilly right now no no that won't do he might put up a bit of a fight which get out and any I think it would be good some things never change so into the final mile or so here for Lilly Partridge here in the the big half wonderful conditions winter sunshine here we are plenty of runners still out on the course 15,000 runners taking part from the the four boroughs 6,000 of those from those specific four boroughs this very much a community event a festival of running across the weekend this the showpiece the centerpiece but we've also got the the little half the big mile the big festival as well and I'm sure some of these some of these individuals out here will have friends that they go running with but to get to pound the streets as this many people that really will feel very different sort of those solo miles people might be doing in the dark before work or the dark after work they've come out on a Sunday morning like this like we keep saying on the Croke close phrase and the beautiful sunshine round sort of iconic sights and just being part of an official event I think always gives you an extra spring in your stride it's a very different experience as you say to to all those that solo runs Larry Partridge then very much on her way approaching Greenwich and cutty sark not far away now into the last four or five minutes she is looking back just checking how how much comfort she's got I think she's got quite a nice little cushion here that she's built up over Samantha Harrison to let that you don't you don't really get caught yeah you don't want a surprise coming up in your shoulder into I have someone do at this stage and the races that her going I'm tired I want to back off or is it I can just risk everything there's no there I've got I've got that distance I've got that lead I can throw everything at it and see you see how fast I can finish [Applause] not quite as easy as she was whether that's because she's feeling the the pinch or she's deciding to work harder which of those two do you think it is I think she's working harder I think to me it really looked like her I'd be interested to hear her comments after and what was a deliberate decision really left those last three miles and I'm sure she's had some sort of instructions my coaching staff yeah how are you gonna make the most out of this event you want the overall result in the time in the position but it's also what elements can you take forward in your in your preparation further much larger I'm sure for her that the big big focus will be be that London Marathon trying to book a place to Tokyo well the cadence has certainly picked up the head starting to rock just a little bit from side to side we're not quite into I Paula Radcliffe territory there in terms of the head bobbing but a little little less stable but she's still looking very very comfortable indeed you took her I haven't seen her take on a drink or gel at all this looks like you just you know it's just this is interesting to me when you see different people approach approach an event of this distance and it isn't fueling as an important part and I'm sure we'll see lots of the the club runners and the fund runners that have had to incorporate that into their training but for that Lily it looks especially if you just get out there in a camera cell for 17 minutes then make it yeah she's been feeling good she's been posting very very positive pictures and comments from her training base in in more Thea over the last few weeks so she must be coming into this race feeling and looking good and she's certainly delivered on that and it's her third appearance in this still very young race the first run in 2018 she was second on that occasion she was fifth here last year and looks to be going all the way here in 2020 really measured performance here from Lilly partridge with approaching 69 minutes on the clock so just a couple of minutes left of running no and if it's any one sort of keen on running stats it Lilly is very good at putting a lot of stuff on there on social media I'm pretty sure she's on Australia as well if anyone is curious to see let's see yeah what's the mass splits and what's the pacing effort she's put into this I'm sure that would be out there and things she posted about a session the other day three by three or four by three miles and that's all you know that's that's a park run the park run as a rep and she's done a lot of diamond and I do wonder if that's that sort of part of the element today so Lilly Partridge on her way to victory here with Samantha Harrison who made much of the early running in second place and trying to close her down Stef Davis from Scotland the the amateur runner who is also trying to book a place on the team for Tokyo in 2020 and Hetty Carruthers in third and fourth in pursue but Lilly Partridge here barring any accidents will be on her way to victory here [Applause] 17:29 remember the course record held by charlotte perche who also ran a very measured race here last year 12 months ago Charlotte perche who's currently in Australia as we mentioned warm weather training getting ready for that London Marathon at the end of April to do well that's just us just clicked off from the Marbella I'm not I'm not sure well integration the crowds thickening all the way just the nice little glance away she'll make a couple of now final turns just the final couple of hundred meters integrate gritting the teeth she knows that course record has Pat's gone it has gone but Lily Partridge here is storming to victory it's been a really measured performance a terrific performance she was second in 2018 v last year and Lily Partridge here has put in a a wonderful performance in front of cutty sark here she comes Lily partridge but the third attempt is victorious in the big half job done for Lily partridge 70 49 the winning time here is samantha harrison a wonderful performance for her the athlete from nottingham who made all the early running well well done sir Samantha Harrison for hanging on there didn't panic when Lily Partridge reeled her in and that's a Stef Davis I think coming home for third place so the three women that the top three women home pretty quickly one after the other and Stef Davis there looks pretty happy with herself so congratulations to Lily partridge - Samantha Harrison and - Stef Davis the one two three in the women's race I said it's fantastic friend Stephanie Dave Harrison took to carry-out to hold on to that second place and Haley Carruthers coming back in a really strong fourth position here no no no getting either side of that both kids CC Haley Crothers negotiate that smooth income home for a fourth position of really really strong performance form up from all of those top four today yeah it all goes well for the British team they said plenty at stake here for these women today places in the world half marathon championships less than a month away but Lily Partridge you know looked very very businesslike there and it's good to see that that winning smile from the athlete from Aldershot fundament districts which others can take five athletes in the world half marathon championship so depending on what some of the other ladies that aren't here today the likes of staff Twila and Charlotte purged you won't want to do we could well see some of the other ladies from today on that teams in the world American Championships

Channel: La Bolsa del Corredor

Views: 338,306

Rating: 4.8149838 out of 5

Keywords: Medio maraton, media maratón, maratón, maraton, marathon, half marathon, running, athletics, healthy, saludable, carreras, la bolsa del corredor, lbdc, london big half 2020, london half marathon, londres, 2020, medio maratón londres, kenenisa bekele, bekele, farah, récord, record, race record, récord de la prueba, record de la prueba

Id: OQNtZJ91mCY

Length: 78min 12sec (4692 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 05 2020