Kenyans 58:24 is an event record and world lead for 2024 as Gete Alemayechu Teklemichael wins womens race in 68:10

Sabastian Sawe shows no sign of rushing into the marathon. Yet judging by his recent half-marathon performances, it will be a 26.2-mile debut worth waiting for.

Last October he won the inaugural world half-marathon title in Riga, Latvia. On Saturday (April 6) he clocked an event record of 58:24 to win the Prague Half Marathon in style.

Breaking away from his rivals after little more than five miles, the 29-year-old passed 10km in 27:32 and drew further clear as the race unfolded in the Czech Republic capital to win by more than a minute and a half.

Racing under blue skies by the banks of the Vltava River, Sawe improved Atsedu Tsegays long-standing event record of 58:47. He also ran a PB and rose to No.12 on the world all-time rankings.

I am absolutely happy that I managed to achieve my personal best and to break the race record as well, he said. I had a great run, the course was fast and enjoyable. The fans drove me forward, I didnt experience any critical moment.

Prague is a beautiful city. I liked it during my training, but today the beauty of the city got me completely, added Sawe, who was a relatively late starter to international athletics and comes from Kapsabet.

The victory came seven days after he placed seventh in the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. On that occasion he was part of the Kenyan gold medal winning mens team but was only fourth scorer.

So is Sawe far more at home on the roads over 13.1 miles? Or is the strength in depth of Kenyan distance running even more frightening than we thought?

On Saturday in Prague, though, he was a class apart, producing a virtuoso performance as fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Toroitich was runner-up in 60:01 and Patrick Mosen third in 60:15 as Kenyans filled the top five places.

When it came to the style of victory, this was a tale of two halfs. Whereas Sawe enjoyed a largely solo run, the womens race was much closer.

Jesca Chelangat of Kenya looked like she had things under control but Gete Alemayechu Teklemichael of Ethiopia had different plans and caught up her rival before finally drawing away to win by just three seconds.

Nigsti Haftu of Ethiopia was third in 69:30 with Vivian Jepkemei Melly of Kenya fourth in 69:33.

Changing the course slightly this year allowed the RunCzech organising team, led by Carlo Capaldo, to accept around 4000 extra runners. This meant the field that set off at 10am local time on the Bubenské nábřeží near the HolKa footbridge was around 15,500 in size.

These included 900-odd Brits who had made the trip to Central Europe to race and to experience one of the most picturesque cities in the world. In fact, an incredible 60% of entries were from outside the Czech Republic, making it a truly international occasion.

Temperatures rose to around 25-26C at midday, but thankfully the weather in the early stages was cloudier and cooler for many.

The first Brits were Ugur Altan of Belgrave Harriers with 71:39 and Lauren Hall of Aldershot, Farnham & District with 75:30. Hall was ninth overall, too, with another Brit, Tracey Barlow of Thames Valley, 11^th in 77:18.

Martin Fiz, the 1995 world marathon champion from Spain, produced another fine performance at the age of 61 with 75:29.

The three-time Olympian won the M60 age group as part of a quest to win his category at all of the prestigious Superhalfs series.

The idea for this European series was born in Prague, said Capaldo, and this years race is a proof that it is a great and beneficial project. Many runners have stayed and enjoy the Prague hospitality, so it has also got the economy moving. These are also the benefits of these sporting events.

The No.1 Czech man, meanwhile, was Patrik Vebr with 66:06 and the leading woman from the Czech Republic was Tereza Hrochová with 74:19.

I liked it a lot, there were less cobbles on the course and overall it was better spread out in terms of wind, said Vebr. We had a bit of wind at the end so that helped.