Because start is 200 meters higher than finish.
Not sure about when is a course "official", but it's hard to say whether this course is faster than a flat 21km street halfmarathon and how much. There were quite a few nature paths and approx. 170m of climbing, they all break the "running rhytm".
Yes, good run indeed! The reason why I asked -> I don't remember how much lower finish can be that records (WR, PB and so on) are approved
