In a field that included three of the fastest women in history, Brigid Kosgei took first in the 50th AJC Peachtree Road Race on Thursday with a time of 30:22, breaking the course record of 30:32 by ten seconds.
The 25-year-old Kenyan’s course record-setting time earns her a $50,000 bonus prize.
Agnes Tirop finished second, just milli-seconds after Kosgei with an unofficial time of 30:22, earning her a new personal best. Fancy Chemutai finished third, ten seconds later, meeting the previous course record.
Credit: compton@ajc.com
Credit: compton@ajc.com
Chemutai and Kosgei, the two favorites of the race, took an early leading position, running on either side of the pacer. As the racers neared the end of the finish, Kosgei pulled ahead to take the lead, before Chemutai made a case for first position.
But Kosgei retook the lead around the 30-minute mark before taking first and setting a new race record, Tirop followed with a second-place finish.
“I was happy because I ran well,” Kosgei said. “The race is not easy. It’s tough. I struggled up to my maximum, and then I won.”
» RELATED: Rhonex Kipruto wins men’s race
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
This Kosgei and Chemutai’s first meeting this year. In January, they raced in the Houston Half Marathon, where Kosgei, again, bested Chemutai, that time by 22 seconds.
Her personal and season best, 29:54, ranks as the second-fastest 10K race of all-time. Thursday’s is another in a string of consecutive wins since September, including the 2018 Chicago Marathon and the 2019 London Marathon.
Chemutai’s personal best earned her a spot as the fourth-fastest 10K in history and her half-marathon personal best is one second shy of the world record.
» RELATED: Results, photos and more from the AJC Peachtree Road Race
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