Top-half finish for Heaslip in Riga, season's best for Ross

Shona Heaslip finished in the top half of the field in the women's half marathon at the inaugural Road Running Championships, while Fionnuala Ross posted a season’s best in the same event in Riga.

Jep Chirchir led home a Kenya 1-2-3, beating compatriot Margaret Kipkemboi by a second in a sprint finish to cross the line in 1:07.25.

Heaslip came into the event on the back of a life-time best performance in Larne of 1:10:35, and made a solid start, positioning herself in the top-20 over the first half of the course. Indeed Heaslip went through first 10km in 33.02, a full 20 seconds faster than she ran for 10,000m earlier this summer.

The An Riocht AC distance runner came home in 24th place with a time of 1:11.07.

Irish team-mate Ross was 41st in a high-quality field of 70 that crossed the finish line with a season’s best of 1:14.40.

✨World Athletics Half Marathon Results✨