Bengaluru: Emmaculate Anyango Achol, the world’s second fastest 10K woman runner, will headline the 16th edition of World 10K Bengaluru, scheduled for Sunday, (April 28). The World Athletics Gold Label Road Race has total prize money of USD 210,000 and features the world’s most accomplished road and track and field athletes.
Among the star attractions, this year is Kenya’s Anyango, who clocked an excellent 28:57 in Valencia, Spain, while finishing behind her teammate Agnes Ngetich, who posted a World Record 28:46 there. A silver medalist in the 2019 African Junior championships in 3000m, Anyango barely missed the Belgarde podium in this year’s World cross-country championships, the organisers informed on Friday.
“I am very excited to be in Bengaluru for the first time for this incredible event, which has gained a worldwide reputation for being one of the best 10K races. I have heard so much about the events hosted in India and the running revolution they began nearly two decades ago. I am very much looking forward to being there and doing my best. The field of runners in the women’s category is quite strong this year and I love a good challenge,” expressed Anyango.
Five of her countrymates will also take the women’s starting line-up in Bengaluru, with timings faster than the event course record (30:35). Lilian Rengeruk Kasait (29:32), Faith Chepkoech (29:50), Loice Chemnung (29:57), Cintia Chepngeno (30:08), and Grace Nawowuna (30:27) make their team formidable. Anyango’s inclusion in this epic line-up draws attention to a power-packed elite women’s race to the title.
Rengeruk and Chepngeno participated in the epic race in Valencia, while Chepkoech and Chemnung clocked their bests from Castellon and Paris. Nawowuna did it in Lille. Two Ethiopians, Aberash Minsewo, this year’s Mumbai Marathon winner, and Lemlem Hailu, 2022 World Indoor 3000m champion, add further shine to the women’s start lists.
Kenya’s Peter Mwaniki and Bravin Kipkogei headline elite men’s line-up in the event,
Meanwhile, in the elite men’s lineup, Kenya’s Peter Mwaniki Aila (29) entered with the fastest time among the men, 26:59. He achieved this mark while finishing third earlier this year in Valencia. In that process, Peter became the nineteenth runner in the World to run the 10K distance in under 27 minutes.
His countrymate and 2019 African Junior Champion over 10,000m — Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo – is credited with 27:02 from Madrid last year along with Bravin Kiprop, who clocked an impressive 27:16 this February at Castellon, Spain, will keep the race interesting.
Two more Kenyans, Hillary Chepkwony, last year’s third-place finisher, and Patrick Mosin, the runner-up in Castellon the previous year, are expected to provide the necessary boost to return fast timings here. Two young runners, John Wele from Tanzania and Boki Diriba from Ethiopia may also pose a threat to the Kenyans.
The 2024 edition is packed with pace as five men and six women who have entered the race are credited with personal best timings recorded on 10K road running that are faster than the course record timings for World 10K Bengaluru. Kenyans Nicholas Kimeli (27:38) and Irene Cheptei (30:35) have held the course record in Bengaluru since 2022.
The World 10K Bengaluru will award a total prize pot of USD 210,000. The winners in the men’s and women’s categories will each take home USD 26,000. A course record bonus of USD 8,000 is also in the offing.
–IANS