world half marathon championships world half marathon championships held china october competition took place city streets beginning ending square total prize purse stake athletes emerged individual team titles men women races despite limited experience level half marathon races won respective races broke winning streak dated defending champion final stages won men bronze medal helped kenya men team title led men beat team silver medal spot present women race kilometre win second gold medal global stage kenya women bronze secured team victory representing hosts non african reach championships joint effort japanese women aided sixth consecutive team bronze medal making country outside typically strong african kenya total thirty countries represented 19th edition competition runners altogether entered men women races event final edition held annual schedule competition switched format championships organization city announced host venue world half marathon championship council meeting november winning bid continuation series major international athletics events included world junior championships highly successful athletics competition beijing olympics time china hosted competition second asian country india held edition headed worked conjunction event gained high profile title sponsor major chinese state owned petroleum corporation competition featured original event mascot anthropomorphic called dressed traditional costume people addition primary events day competition held conjunction 28th liberation day celebrations mass races held chinese state broadcaster showed live television coverage event helicopter format continuing tradition previous editions championships comprised separate half marathon road races men women race having individual international team aspect nation enter maximum athletes race team scores calculated combining finishing times team runners nations runners disregarded team event runners competed individual prizes athletes typically gained selection country ways recent performances international road running circuit performance specially designated half marathon national championships total prize money pot available athletes championships awards given placing sixth individual team sections amounts offer competition equal sexes prize individual race winners athletes winning teams earned share provided incentive runners improved half marathon world record mark ultimately award claimed championships athletes receiving prize money needed submit pass test order claim award course half marathon course designed double looped figure format square central start finish point race situated avenue route left square westerly direction turning north road turned left followed road mark turning eastwards route ran passing halfway marker point headed right south road road passing way going northwards avenue race came headed east doubling road tracing path alongside admiral city shopping mall route went east return starting point square little elevation generally flat course ranged metres wide route championships held october women race began local time men competition began half hour addition elite races mass fun run event held people beginning competitions took place morning order avoid heat day china southerly cities designated training area athletes attendance men race favourite men race runner defending champion straight wins broken world record earlier year run minutes newly african prominent contingent clear favourite team title minute runners including moses contenders kenya defending champion team race hot humid conditions slowed runners pace remained main pack point following kilometres decisive race left trailing leading runners soon reduced fell away leave battle medal positions neck neck lead kilometre pulled away final metres break year undefeated streak faded badly end appeared injured taking second place fourth sealing team victory fifth place helped team silver win continued rise year gone low profile circuit runner metres african champion minute half marathon best wins paris silver received given aims citizen world fastest time award days competition respect position world record holder second half marathon athlete selected surprise men race performers predicted impact race achievements note including individual medal kenya personal eighth ninth place respectively field national record men results totals starters finishers nations represented national teams ranked women race provisional favourite women race runner fastest field win half marathon september debut distance second completed strongest women team considered team beat title led winner main opposition team race nation sent relatively inexperienced runners championships occasion china leading athlete despite established marathon runner experience half distance japan lacked leading figure individually overall consistency brought team medals editions demonstrated team pedigree kenya entered tournament reigning team champions beginning race highlighted dominance runners set high tempo outset time marker passed australia athlete left leading pack come outside historically strong nations kilometres later dropped pack mark second advantage rest field race reached midway point temperature began increase heat humidity reduced pace runners conditions took toll leaders section race slowed considerably fate gradually lose contact runners dire sole contenders remaining race headed final stages dire soon left trailing minutes later despite dire greater experience long distances forged ahead kilometre won race seconds spare rival line half minute later fate took places minute winner clear place proved difference african teams kenya won team gold margin seconds strong final phase saw eighth place hosts best non african individual performance year japan immediately failing finish leading country team bronze minutes australia collected international road running title second effort half marathon distance second world title senior crown world cross country championships said priority taking medal track goal year world championships olympics dire prolific road runners individual medal world stage younger fate missed medals set personal half marathon women results totals starters finishers nations represented teams ranked participation total thirty nations represented championships combined total male female athletes attendance countries entered maximum athletes race japan kenya south_africa united_states british runner scheduled country sole representative men race refused entry country explanation causing dispute number athletes
2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships