Bengaluru, May 10: Kenya’s Rio 2016 Olympics silver medalist Paul Tanui and his compatriot Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli, who was fourth in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, will be among the main attractions at the Tata Consultancy. Services (TCS) World 10K Bengaluru 2022 to be held in May. fifteen.
The full elite field for the 14th edition of the World Athletics Elite Label Race was revealed here on Monday.
Prestigious additions already named include Muktar Edris, Kibiwott Kandie and Tadese Worku in the men’s race; Hellen Obiri, Irene Cheptai and Joyce Tele in the women’s race.
Tanui’s road race record is quite modest – his personal best of 28:39 came when he finished sixth in the 2019 10K in Bangalore – but on the track, the Japan-based runner has an outstanding record and has a best time of 26:49.41.
In addition to her silver medal in Rio, Tanui has three bronze medals in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Athletics to her name, as well as a silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships.
His younger compatriot Kipkorir Kimeli was the African under-20 10,000m track champion in 2017 and will arrive in Bangalore in very good shape after running 12:55 for 5km on the road last month.
Kenyan Bravin Kipkogei succeeded Kipkorir Kimeli as African U-20 10,000m champion in 2019 and made a big impression when he finished sixth in the famous 2020 Valencia Half Marathon, in which Kandie set a world record of 57:32, despite having been originally employed. like pacemakers.
Kipkogei has raced sparingly in 2021 and 2022 but has the pedigree to make an impact in Bangalore.
A third notable Kenyan addition to the men’s field is Matthew Kimeli, who ran 58:43 for the half marathon last year and has already had three starts over that distance in 2022, culminating in a victory in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 59:30 alone. nine. days ago.
Another man in great shape at the moment is 2015 U-20 world cross country champion Yasin Haji of Ethiopia, who has run the 27:00 10km twice in recent weeks, first in the French city of Lille in March and then in Herzogenaurach.
In total, eight men in this year’s field have run faster, either on the track or on the roads, than Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya’s record of 27:44 dating from 2014.
In the women’s race, several talented young road runners from Kenya and Ethiopia have joined the elite field to challenge the three household names that have already been announced.
Faith Cherono, from Kenya, is just 19 years old and made a sensational international debut less than two months ago when she stunned the spectators with a magnificent victory over 10km in Lille in 31:06. She continued to improve until 30:50 in Herzogenaurach, organizers Procam International said in a statement on Tuesday.
Ethiopian Tesfaye Nigsti is just two seconds slower than Cherono over 10km and has been in fine form in half marathons recently, posting a personal best of 1:06:17 in Valencia last October and coming close to that mark twice in March, his only two races in 2022 before the Bengaluru 10K.
Seven women in this year’s TCSW10K have personal bests faster than the course record of 31:19 set by Kenya’s Agnes Tirop in 2018.
The TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2022 has a total prize fund of USD 210,000, with male and female winners taking home USD 26,000 and course record bonuses of an additional USD 8,000 being offered.
“The world has had to wait three years due to the pandemic since the last TCS World 10K. This is the 14th edition of this fantastic race and I am so honored that so many of the best long-distance runners in the world have committed to back to India to make this one of the best events in the world over this distance,” said Vivek Singh, Deputy General Manager of race promoters Procam International.