1st WMC Half Marathon – Lucerne (SUI) – Day 2
Inaugural CISM Half Marathon World Championships Concludes with Thrilling Races
LUCERNE (SUI) - The first-ever CISM Half Marathon World Championships kicked off with great enthusiasm as Brigadier General Niels Blatter officially signaled the start at 8:25 a.m. The event showcased intense competition and culminated in an exhilarating finish, making history in the world of military sports.
Men's Race Highlights
The men's race witnessed a fierce contest from the start, with athletes from Morocco, Bahrain, and Tanzania clearly in the hunt for the gold medal. The race concluded in a nail-biting finish as the top three runners engaged in a thrilling final sprint. Ultimately, Morocco's El Aaraby Mohamed Reda clinched the world title with a mere one-second lead over Tanzanian Alphonce Simby, who secured the silver medal.
This marks yet another medal for the Moroccan El Aaraby who secured the third position at the 52nd WMC Marathon in Lima (PER) in 2022 and emerged victorious in the 10,000m event at the World Summer Games in Wuhan in 2019.
Another Moroccan, Yassine El Alami, finished in third place, just two seconds behind the winner.
With two Moroccan athletes on the individual podium, it was no surprise that Morocco claimed victory in the men's team event. Mohamed Reda El Aaraby secured his second gold medal of the day, supported by his teammates Yassine El Alami and Hassan Toriss. The French team, led by Mehdi Frere, Nicolas-Marie Day, and Faustin Guigon, took home the silver medal. The Italian team, comprising Yohanes Chiappinelli, Daniele Meucci, and Giuseppe Gerratana, earned the bronze.
Women's Race Highlights
In the women's race, Bahrain's Jepchumba Kilonzo Violah emerged as the new world champion, maintaining a commanding lead of over 20 seconds ahead of her teammate, Jebet Ruth Danies. The Tanzanian Delegation secured the bronze medal, thanks to an impressive performance by Shauri Magdalena, who outpaced her teammate Sakilu Jackline.
The Bahraini women's team, represented by Jepchumba Kilonzo Violah, Ruth Danies, and Jepketer Roselidah, added another gold medal to their nation's tally. Morocco, led by Tahiri Rahma, Farkoussi Kaoutar, and Bouaasayriya Kaltoum, claimed a well-deserved silver medal. Tanzania, with Shauri Magdalena, Sakilu Jackline, and Mbua Mayselina, clinched the bronze.
The event featured a strong field of runners, a challenging course, optimal weather conditions, and enthusiastic spectators, making the first edition of the CISM Half Marathon World Championships a resounding success.
The day concluded with a medal ceremony during the closing ceremony and a subsequent closing banquet. The Chief of the Swiss Delegation to CISM congratulated the athletes on their outstanding performances and deemed the first staging of the World Military Half Marathon Championships a triumph of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship.
He also extended a warm invitation to the athletes present for the upcoming Military World Winter Games 2025, set to be held in Lucerne, highlighting the potential for Cross-Country Running as an exciting competition for half marathon participants. Brigadier General Niels Blatter officially declared the 1st World Military Half Marathon Championships in Lucerne closed at the end of his speech.
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Final Results: Men Individual - Men Team - Women Individual - Women Team
(Source: Armée Suisse)
