The 31st Lisbon Half Marathon, which runs through the streets of the city on Sunday, aims to set world distance records, but also to practice sports in Portugal, which organizers say is a cause for concern on Friday.
“It is more than an athletics event, it is a fingerprint of Lisbon. Not only in terms of sports tourism, but also in terms of leisure and, above all, in terms of health”Carlos Móia, president of Maratona Clube de Portugal, responsible for organizing the race, noted at a press conference.
Carlos Móia claimed that the event “democratized the practice of athletics in Portugal” and expressed concern about a study by the Sport and Physical Activity Eurobarometer, which found that 73% of Portuguese do not practice physical activity, the worst result among the European countries analysed.
“It’s something we should be concerned about”warned the person responsible for organizing the Lisbon Half Marathon, which once again “brings together some of the best athletes in the world, both men and women, who are once again trying to break the race record, which belongs to the world”. the case of men.
Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo set the current world maximum – of 57.31 minutes – in Lisbon in 2021, restoring a record that already belonged to him before the race in the Portuguese capital, while setting the women’s record (1:02.52 hours) by the Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, in Valencia (Spain), in the same year.
“It will not be easy, but given the quality of the top athletes present, there is a possibility”reinforced Carlos Móia, probably thinking of the Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto, holder of the third fastest time ever, with 57.49 minutes, and world record holder of the 10 kilometers.
Kipruto, 23, was less optimistic, admitting a result “of the order of 58 was low [58 minutos e poucos segundos]would already be positive, but acknowledging that his “calling card” puts him very close to the world maximum.
“If the weather conditions are good and I feel that I can beat the world record, then of course I will try”said Kipruto, who in that case would receive a check for 50,000 euros, an amount that the organization attributed to the achievement.
In addition to Kipruto, winner of the 2022 New York half marathon, the Lisbon race has seven more athletes with personal bests under the hour, with Ethiopians Hagos Gebrhiwet (58.55) and Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Kenyan Vincent Ngetich (59.09). ).
Among the women, the Ethiopian Girmawit Gebrzihair stands out, who with a personal best of 1:04.14 hours is the fourth best in history and must be strongly contested by the Kenyans Margaret Kipkemboi (1:05.26) and Catherine Reline (1.05.39). , both below the test maximum (1:06.06, by Ethiopian Tsehay Gemechu).
With more modest objectives is introduced the Portuguese Dulce Félix, who set the national distance record in 2011, precisely in the race that crosses the bridge of 25 de Abril, with a time of 1:08.33 hours.
“I will do my best, but I do not promise high marks,” shot Dulce Félix, 40 years old, recalling that “it has been a long time” since he set the current national maximum, but without hiding that the race in the Portuguese capital “is very special”.
The 2023 Lisbon Half Marathon, which starts at 10:05 a.m. on Sunday, will have athletes from 14 countries in the elite squad, one of the most diverse representations ever.
Source: DN
