WORLD women’s marathon record holder Ruth Chepng’etich will gauge her form ahead of the London Marathon on April 27 when she lines up for the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 9.
Chepng’etich will debut in the Portuguese capital as she fine-tunes for an epic showdown in London, where she is set to face a stacked field.
Her competitors in London include; defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan, two-time Berlin marathon champion Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia and former New York champion Joyciline Jepkosgei. Chepng’etich expressed her excitement about the Lisbon challenge, eager to test her speed before London.
“I am thrilled to announce that I will run the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 9. I can’t wait. See you soon, Lisbon!” Chepng’etich shared to the event organisers. Maratona Clube de Portugal President Carlos Moia hailed her participation, emphasising Lisbon’s status as a world-class race. “The presence of the best athletes in the sport here in Lisbon confirms our event’s prestige on the international calendar,” he said.
“In the coming weeks, more elite names will be announced for the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, which this year will also host Portugal’s National Half Marathon Championship, bringing together the country’s best athletes.”
Chepng’etich arrives in Lisbon boasting the sixth-fastest time in history over 21km, courtesy of her 1:04:02 victory in Istanbul in 2021.
She trails Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw (1:03:51), Lilian Kasait (1:03:32), Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay (1:03:21), Agnes Ngetich (1:03:04) and world record holder Letesenbet Gidey (1:02:52).