Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh smashed the world record to win the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Friday (21), clocking 1:04:31 at the World Athletics Gold Label road race.

Marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei was a distant second in 1:04:49, but her time was also inside the previous world record of 1:04:51, set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in Valencia in 2017.

Rosemary Wanjiru came through to take third place in 1:05:34, the fastest ever debut half marathon, and the next five women over the line finished inside 67 minutes.

Kenya’s Robert Keter upstaged a quality field to win the Urban Trail Lille 5km on Saturday (9), taking seven seconds off the world record* with his winning time of 13:22.

While organisers had hoped that Lille’s flat course would lend itself to a world record, many expected the likes of world U20 5000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka, world U20 cross-country champion Milkesa Mengesha and world indoor 3000m finalist Davis Kiplangat to challenge the mark of 13:29.

Geoffrey Kamworor took 17 seconds off the world record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday (15), winning the IAAF Gold Label road race in 58:01*.The 26-year-old Kenyan returned to the Danish capital, the scene of his first of three world half-marathon titles, in a bid to improve on the world record of 58:18 set in Valencia last year by Abraham Kiptum.

Rhonex Kipruto smashed the world record at the 10k Valencia Ibercaja on Sunday (12), clocking 26:24* to win the World Athletics Gold Label road race.

The world 10.000m bronze medallist, still aged just 20, took 14 seconds off the yet-to-be-ratified mark set just six weeks ago by Joshua Cheptegei in the same city, albeit on a different course.

Sheila Chepkirui, meanwhile, ran 29:46 to win the women’s race. Her time was initially reported as 29:42, which would have been a one-second improvement on the world record, but her official time was later confirmed as 29:46, consolidating her position as the second fastest woman of all time.