Catfish half marathon Image: Albert Mikovits (pictureshooting.AT)
The 30th International Welser Holter Half Marathon was once again a clear affair for the runners from Kenya – with a triple and double victory.
Kennedy-Kipkemoi Rono won the men’s race with a time of 1:03:12 in front of Albert-Kipkorir Tonui and Ezekiel Kipkorir (all Benedek Team), Christian Nagele (ASKÖ Irschen) was fourth as the best Austrian. “A crazy run, the course record has been improved by three seconds,” says head of organization Eva Kroboth from Welser Turnverein.
In the women’s race, Philice-Cheboirot Kipkerio won in 1:14:42 ahead of Ruth-Chemisto Matebo (both Benedek Team), local hero Anna Pabinger (ALC Wels) was third in 1:19:13. The winner would have finished sixth in the men’s event.
Alexander Bründl (starlim racing team wels) won the 7.1 km long eww power run in 21:55 and Susanne Aumair (RC Grieskirchen/sportradl.at) in 26:00.
At the 5 km long Felbermayr anniversary run, Simone Wögerbauer (PSV Tri-Linz), a woman, ran by far the fastest time in 19:16 ahead of Marcel Weichsler, who ran the course in 20:46.
Four year break
After a forced four-year break – apart from a virtual run last year – Eva Kroboth is extremely satisfied: “A total of 900 starters in all three runs, 500 of them in the half marathon, a brilliant atmosphere at the start, course record, many runners in costumes at the entertaining Felbermayr anniversary run: It just went really well today!”
Vice Mayor Gerhard Kroiß was also satisfied, cheering on the runners at the side of the track: “I don’t even remember how many times I ran along there.” The Wels sports officer swapped his running shoes for mountain boots a long time ago. He celebrated his most recent summit victory with city senate colleague and party friend Christa Raggl-Mühlberger on the Wildspitze, Austria’s second highest mountain after the Grossglockner.
Like Kroiß, SP Deputy Mayor Klaus Schinninger and Welser ASVÖ district chairman Helmut Aichbauer applauded the achievements of almost 1,000 runners. It was up to Mayor Andreas Rabl to fire the starting gun at 10 a.m. sharp. Extra praise for Rabl came from Hermann Kaufmann, organizer of the Wels Business Run on May 26th. Because the owner of a hunting license, Rabl, proved to be particularly adept at handling weapons. He handed the pistol and blank cartridges back in the locked box.
Unfortunately, the sparse crowd of spectators was disappointing, caused by the long Corona break and the time change the night before.
Source: Nachrichten
