For so long a gutsy and determined run by Efrem Gidey looked poised to earn him the half marathon bronze medal at the inaugural European Running Championships in Leuven, Belgium on Saturday morning, only for Gidey to be outkicked in the last 100 metres by Valentin Gondouin from France.
The 24-year-old Gidey, who two weeks ago broke the Irish 10,000 metres record on the track, ran almost the entire 20.2km race in second place and then third, before Gondouin caught him inside the last 4km, then beat him by a second.
The dry, sunny conditions on the pancake flat course made for perfect running conditions, and French star Jimmy Gressier set the blazing pace from the gun, eventually winning in 59 minutes and 45 seconds – a personal best by a second.
Gidey, the joint Irish half marathon record holder with his 60:51 clocking last September, also went with Gressier from the gun, as did Norway’s Awet Nftalem Kibrab, this trio breaking away from the chasing pack for the rest of the race, with only Gidey being reeled in by the end.
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After passing 5km in 13:54, and then 10km in 28:17, Gidey started to pay a little for his audacious start, but still he held an eight-second advantage on Gondouin at 15km. Once caught, however, the two runners stuck together until the last sprint for the line, Gondouin claiming bronze in 61:54, Gidey timed at 61:55 – just over a minute off his Irish record.
The Clonliffe Harriers runner was nonetheless delighted with his performance, his best in Europe after finishing sixth in the 10,000m at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, and also winning bronze in the Under-20 race at the European Cross-Country in 2019.
Kibrab held on for second in 61:08, and who like Gidey was born in Eritrea. Ann-Marie McGlynn from Letterkenny AC was also in action in the women’s elite race, finishing 26th in 76:49, that title won by home favourite Chloe Herbiet from Belgium in 71:39.
The remainder of the Irish team race tomorrow over 10km; Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers), Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) and Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley AC) go in the men’s elite race, while Niamh Allen (Leevale AC) and Emily Haggard-Kearney (North Belfast Harriers AC) will run in the women’s elite race.
