Kasait, Lasoi headline Zwolle Half Marathon as Matata eyes back-to-back Venloop Half Marathon

The 2019 African 5,000m champion Lilian Kasait and two-time Zwolle Half Marathon champion Isaiah Lasoi will spearhead Kenya’s charge at the Prague Half Marathon set for 5 April.

Race organizers are expecting fast times with the Kenyan duo leading the charge in the men’s and women’s events.

“The Prague Half Marathon course is known for its speed and ideal conditions for fast times. We are excited to welcome such talented athletes and look forward to an exciting race,” said Carlo Capalbo, the chairman of the RunCzech Organizing Committee.

The current course record for the Prague Half Marathon is 58:24 set by Sebastian Sawe during his triumph last year while the women’s mark stands at 1:04:52 set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017.

Kasait is gradually transitioning to the Half Marathon and will be making her second appearance over the 21km distance after debuting at the Valencia Half Marathon last October.

In Valencia, she clocked 1:03:32, finishing behind World 10K record holder Agnes Ngetich (1:03:04) and Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay (1:03:21).

Meanwhile, Charles Matata is set to defend his Venloop Half Marathon title on Sunday, as he returns to the streets of Venloop, Netherlands, aiming for back-to-back victories.

Matata claimed the title last year clocking 1:00:39 to lead an all-Kenyan podium finish with James Mutuku (1:01:36) and Raphael Kolian (1:01:42) second and third.

Matata is relatively new to the road races having made his debut at the New Delhi Half Marathon in 2023, where he clocked 1:00:05 for second place.

He trailed World 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu (59:27) and was just ahead of Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena (1:00:51).

His second appearance was in Madrid 2023, where he made the podium yet again, clocking 1:00:21 for second place behind Victor Kipruto (1:00:04).

However, Matata’s title defence is far from guaranteed, with compatriot Jorum Okombo, the 2024 Paris Half Marathon champion, posing a significant challenge.

Okombo is a seasoned campaigner over 21km with a string of podium finishes to his name.

His runners-up finish in Paris saw him clock 1:02:02— behind Bernard Kiprop (1:00:45) and ahead of Emmanuel Roudolff of France (1:02:11).

In 2017, he clocked 58:48 for a second-place finish in Copenhagen before going on to record another second-place finish in Venlo (1:00:20) the same year.

In 2018, he competed at the World Half Marathon in Valencia, Spain, finishing outside the top 10 in position 18 (1:01:34). Adding firepower to the men’s race are Evans Kipkorir and James Mutuku.