Stephen Kiprotich Wins The Gateshed Half Marathon
The 25-year-old, who became a national hero when he won back-to-back global marathon titles at the London 2012 Olympics and 2013 IAAF World Championships showed his potential by beating over 5,000 competitors.
"It's good to establish myself in these races again," he says.
Kiprotich began running again in 2005, when he was 16, which soon led to another abrupt turn winning races allover the world now.
For Kiprotich, the 10k event – which finished on the track in Gateshead International Stadium and took the 5000-field along Gateshead Quayside – was an ideal opportunity to regain his winning touch after finishing a disappointing 12th in the London Marathon in April.
He also sees it as a chance to get a taste of the big race action on Tyneside before taking part in the Great North Run in September.
"The Bupa Great North 10k Gateshead will give Stephen the chance to get his confidence back," said Pete Riley, elite athlete manager for the event. "Since winning his world and Olympic titles, he's focused on big city marathons and hasn't really been ready for them. His management and coaching team just want him to get back into winning ways again.
"It's also a stepping stone to the Bupa Great North Run for Stephen. He'll get a feel of the atmosphere he can expect in September and he'll get an opportunity to see the course."
Last year the world's biggest half marathon featured a gripping battle between all-time distance running greats Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah and Haile Gebrselassie, and this year's race is sure to be another memorable occasion, featuring the 1,000,000th finisher since the event was launched in 1981.
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