Sports
Chepkirui Wins Great North Run
Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui claimed victory in the Great North Run women’s race as Britain’s Eilish McColgan finished third.
The Scot trailed Chepkirui and Vivian Cheruiyot in the final stages and, despite a late push, she failed to overhaul the Kenyan pair.
Chepkirui won in one hour nine minutes and 32 seconds, with her compatriot Cheruiyot five seconds behind and McColgan 10 seconds adrift of the winner.
“It was really nice but there was a lot of wind,” said Chepkirui, 34.
Taking part in her third Great North Run, McColgan was aiming to emulate her mother Liz by winning the race for the first time.
“It was tough conditions today,” said the 34-year-old. “We had a headwind pretty much the whole race until that final mile, so times were sort of out of the window early doors.
“We were a lot slower than we set off last year. There was no rain compared to last year and the crowds were out in force so it was a special day.”
In the men’s race, Kenya’s Alex Mutiso, 28, raced away in the latter stages to win in 1:00.52.
Belgium’s Bashir Abdi was six seconds behind in second place, with Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba – who won last year’s race – nine seconds off the winner in third.
Ben Connor was the highest-placed Briton in the men’s race as he came in fourth in 1:02.57.
Fellow Briton Sean Frame took control of the men’s wheelchair race early on and claimed victory in 49:24 as he added to his win in 2021.
Simon Lawson finished second in 52:38 and another Briton, Anton Shepherd, was third in 54:21.
“A bit of a headwind all the way but it was an amazing race,” said Frame.
“I was second last year, it didn’t bother me that much. I just focused on this year – putting on the best performance I could and just use my strengths – and it paid off.”
Great Britain’s Mel Nicholls won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:05.24, with Rita Curuccu, of Italy, second in 1:22.22.
“It was so much fun, I loved it,” said Nicholls. “The wind was crazy.
“A lot of it is uphill but it certainly felt it was all uphill.”