Kosgei dominates Great North Run as Talbi breaks the hour
Kenya's Brigid Kosgei won the women's Great North Run in 1 hour 6 minutes 15 seconds on Sunday, 13 September, finishing more than two minutes clear in South Shields. Morocco's Zouhair Talbi won the men's race in 59 minutes 47 seconds on the same road from Newcastle upon Tyne BBC Sport.
Kosgei took charge early and kept stretching the lead. No one could follow. Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui finished second, over two minutes behind the winner. Amy-Eloise Neale was fifth overall and the first British woman home.
There was early disappointment for Eilish McColgan. The Scot, third here last year, withdrew with a foot injury before the race settled. She had arrived after winning the Big Half in London in 1:10:54, her comeback race after withdrawing from the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow through injury.
Talbi had been named among the headline elite men's entries alongside Americans Clayton Young and Casey Clinger Yahoo Sports. He delivered, pulling clear to break the hour. Kenya's Alex Mutiso was second in 1:00:01, 14 seconds back, with Japan's Yohei Ikeda third. Marc Scott finished eighth to lead the British men home.
David Weir won the men's wheelchair race in 43:06 for his 10th title. Melanie Woods won the women's wheelchair race in 50:19.
The Great North Run is a half marathon, 13.1 miles, from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields Great North Run. Kosgei already holds the women's course record at 1:04:28, the fastest time ever run by a woman on this course. The men's course record is 58:56, set by Martin Mathathi in 2011.
What makes this stand out is the daylight. Two minutes is a huge margin over 13.1 miles. Kosgei ran alone for much of it, Talbi judged his hour just right, and Weir keeps adding to a record that will take some beating.
