Kenyan Eric Leon Ndiema and Ukrainian Viktoria Kaluzhna were the best in the 8th Cracovia Royal Half Marathon
Eric Leon Ndiema (1:02:09) and Viktoria Kaluzhna (1:12:26) triumphed in the 8th edition of the Cracovia Royal Half Marathon, which took place on October 16. The Kenyan thus improved his 2019 achievement, when in the sixth edition of the event he took second place with a time 6 seconds worse. For the Ukrainian, it is the second victory in Kraków this month - two weeks earlier she won the 15th Three Mounds Run.
The winner's compatriot David Kiprono Metto had a great liking for winning - he could become the first runner to win all the Royal Running Triad competition in one year (he was the best in the 19th Cracovia Marathon and the 15th Three Mounds Run). For most of the distance, the Kenyans ran together, but in the end Ndiema managed to escape Metto and at the finish line he had a 28-second advantage (Metto time - 1:02:37). The winner's time also allowed to collect a check for 12 thousand PLN, i.e. - according to the regulations - by 2 thousand more than the base prize for 1st place. The podium was completed by the third Kenyan - Paul Tiongik (1:03:11). The first Pole - Mateusz Kaczor - finished fourth. This year's silver (in the half marathon) and bronze (in the 10 km run) medalist of the Polish championship, the third competitor of the 15th Three Mounds Run, however, did not hide his satisfaction with his result - the time 1:03:31 is his new personal record on the distance of 21.0975 km. Last year's winner - Vitaliy Shafar from Ukraine (1:04:53) came fifth at the finish line.
The second place among women was Kenyan Beatrice Cherono (1:14:06). The third was the current bronze medalist of the European Championships in Munich in the team marathon, the winner of the Cracovia Royal Half Marathon last year and the best Polish woman - Monika Jackiewicz (1:15:38). Just behind the podium was the winner of several Kraków runs, including the last one, the 19th Cracovia Marathon, representing Moldova, Lilia Fiskowicz (1:15:43). An excellent, fifth place was won by Beata Popadiak from the ASICS FrontRunner team, who lives in Kraków (1:17:12).
As part of the 8th Cracovia Royal Half Marathon, the Polish Championships of Physiotherapists, Teachers and Foresters in the Half Marathon were also held.
The complete results of the 8th Cracovia Royal Half Marathon can be found HERE.
A total of 5,807 out of 5,844 participants of the Sunday half marathon from 39 countries, who stood at the start, received great satisfaction from crossing the finish line at TAURON Arena Kraków (6,135 out of 6,795 paid people from 45 countries received the packages). For 556 of them it also meant that they gain the Royal Running Triad 2022 for completing the 19th Cracovia Marathon, the 15th Three Mounds Run and the 8th Cracovia Royal Half Marathon.
We invite you to see an extensive photo gallery by Szymon Gruchalski: HERE.
Photo: Szymon Gruchalski; Paweł „Droner” Sudoł; Mateusz Chwajoł/ZIS