Kejelcha Breaks Course Record as Battocletti Wins Again at BOclassic Alto Adige
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Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha delivered a standout performance to win the men’s 10 km race at the 51st edition of the BOclassic Alto Adige in Bolzano, shattering the course record with 27:42 on a cold but sunny New Year’s Eve. Kejelcha improved the previous mark held by compatriot Telahun Bekele by 17 seconds.
“I ran a good race and I really love the BOclassic,” said Kejelcha. “I felt confident before the start and enjoyed the atmosphere along the course. I’m very happy with the course record. I hope to continue running at this level in 2026. I can’t promise I’ll return next year, but I would be very happy to race here again.”
A leading group of six—Kejelcha, Bekele, Maxime Chaumeton, Yeman Crippa, Charles Rotich, and John Heymans—went through the opening lap in 3:31. Chaumeton pushed the pace on the second lap as the group passed 7:03, while Bekele led a compact pack through halfway in 14:09.
Kejelcha made his decisive move at the start of the penultimate lap, quickly opening a gap on Bekele. Crippa ran in third, around 30 metres behind the leaders. At the bell, Kejelcha held a three-second advantage and extended it to five seconds over the final lap to secure victory. Bekele finished second in 27:47.
“I am very happy with my performance,” said Bekele. “It was only the second time I raced here.”
Crippa, the reigning European half marathon champion, completed the podium in 27:57, improving his personal best by six seconds and also dipping under the former course record of 27:59. Chaumeton placed fourth in 27:59, while Heymans finished fifth in 28:17.
“It was a tough race,” said Crippa. “It was cold, but we felt the warm support of the crowd. My rivals were stronger than in previous editions. I ran the Valencia Marathon a few weeks ago and gave my best today—no regrets.”
Battocletti Claims Third Straight BOclassic Title
In the women’s 5 km race, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti continued her dominance in Bolzano, securing her third consecutive BOclassic victory in 15:51. The Olympic 10,000 m silver medallist finished well clear of compatriot Federica Del Buono, who placed second in 16:04, just one week after setting a half marathon personal best of 1:10:07.
Italy swept the top two positions in the women’s race for the first time in BOclassic history. Ethiopia’s Ksanet Alem took third in 16:05, narrowly holding off Britain’s Cori Hughes (16:06), while Valentina Gemetto rounded out the top five in 16:08.
Del Buono led early, followed closely by Battocletti and Hughes, as the trio passed the first lap in 4:16. Battocletti made her move on the third lap, reaching the bell in 12:09 and gradually increasing her advantage to 13 seconds by the finish.
“I’m very happy to win the BOclassic for the third year in a row,” said Battocletti. “It was cold, but the atmosphere was amazing thanks to the fans. I needed the first two laps to warm up, but I really enjoyed the race. These days have been very busy—I just passed my final university exam. I’ll race at Campaccio on 25 January and, for the first time, I’ll prepare an indoor season.”
