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Linkletter nails his first half-marathon at Houston

Linkletter was 16 seconds off of the Canadian record in his half-marathon debut

Canada’s Rory Linkletter ran a fantastic debut half-marathon in Houston today, finishing in 1:01:44, the fastest Canadian on the course and just 16 seconds off the Canadian record, after his impressive 2:16 debut in the full marathon at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October. Linkletter was followed across the line by Canadian marathon record-holder Cam Levins in 1:02:14, a one-second personal best for Levins, and Tristan Woodfine in a personal best 1:03:30.

Last year’s runner-up, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia, broke the tape in 59:25, three seconds off the course record, closely followed by Bernard Kipkorir Ngeno in 59:26 and Shadrack Korir (59:27), both of Kenya.

RELATED: Natasha Wodak becomes first Canadian woman to run under 1:10 for half-marathon

Last year’s champion, Shura Kitata of Kenya, was eighth, in 59:47. It’s a shocking indication of how quickly times are coming down that a time that was 24 seconds faster than last year’s winning time put him well off the podium. (The top nine finishers all ran sub-60.)

Jake Robertson of New Zealand, who won this race in 2018, was 10th, in 1:00:12.

Jared Ward was the top American, in 1:01:36.

The women’s race was won by Hitomi Niiya in 1:06:38, a new national record for the Japanese runner.

Canada’s Natasha Wodak set a new Canadian record in 1:09:41–the first time a Canadian woman has gone sub-1:10 in the half.

Full results can be found here.

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