Gudeta shatters women's half marathon record in Spain

Athletics - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Valencia, Spain - March 24, 2018 Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta Kebede wins the women's race REUTERS/Heino Kalis

(Reuters) - Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta broke Kenya's dominance in the World Half Marathon Championships by smashing the women's only race world record in Valencia, Spain on Saturday.

Kenyan women had swept the medals at the previous two championships but Gudeta pushed on alone from 15 kilometres to win in a time of one hour, six minutes and 11 seconds.

The 27-year-old finished a comfortable 43 seconds ahead of Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei, who holds the overall world record of 1:04:51. Jepkosgei's compatriot Pauline Kamulu came third.

Athletics - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Valencia, Spain - March 24, 2018 Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta Kebede poses with the gold medal and Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei and Kenya’s Pauline Kaveke Kamulu pose with their silver and bronze medals after the women's race REUTERS/Heino Kalis

The previous record for a single-sex race was set by Lornah Kiplagat in Udine, Italy in 2007.

Earlier, Geoffrey Kamworor won his third successive title in the men's event in a time of 1:00:02. The Kenyan, who won silver in the 10,000 metres at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, was followed over the line by Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain and Aron Kifle of Eritrea.

Athletics - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Valencia, Spain - March 24, 2018 Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta Kebede wins the women's race REUTERS/Heino Kalis

(Reporting by Christian Radnedge,; Editing by Ed Osmond)

Athletics - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Valencia, Spain - March 24, 2018 IAAF President Sebastian Coe presents Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta Kebede with a cheque after she won the women's race and setting a new world record REUTERS/Heino Kalis

Athletics - IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - Valencia, Spain - March 24, 2018 Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta Kebede poses with the gold medal and Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei and Kenya’s Pauline Kaveke Kamulu pose with their silver and bronze medals after the women's race REUTERS/Heino Kalis