Fifteen gold level-running elite athletes have been confirmed for the men and women’s titles and the $15,000 top prize at the fifth Okpekpe International 10km road race this Saturday in Okpekpe near Auchi in Edo state.
Of these 15 athletes, nine are men, while the reamini9ng are women. Kenya’s Stephen Omiso Arita, Tanzania’s Ismail Juma and Ethiopia’s Netsanet Gudeta will lead the cast of gold-level running elite athletes who are expected in the country on Wednesday for the race.
Arita is the 10th fastest 10km runner so far this year courtsey of the 27:59 seconds he ran to win the XV 10km Villa de Laredo 2017 in Laredo, Spain. He will be up against Tanzania’s Juma who ran 28:58 seconds to place eight at the IAAF Gold Label World’s Best 10k in San Juan, Puerto Rico last February; defending champion Simon Cheprot of Kenya, who will be seeking to become the first man to successfully defend an Okpekpe title and Turkey’s Kaan Kigen Ozbilen, who holds a 27:25 seconds personal best over 10km.Also expected to be among the top contenders are Edwin Nyandusi Mokua of Kenya (27:38secs, compatriots Emmanuel Kiprono Kipsang who ran 27:47 seconds to place third in the 10km race in Praha last year and Wilson Kiprono Too whose personal best of 27:39 was achieved way back in 2013 as well as Ethiopia’s Fikadu Haftu who also ran a lifetime best of 27:46 seconds last year.
In the women’s category are Gudeta, Alemtsehay Asefa for the title.Asefa ran 32:39 seconds last March at the Oujda international 10km in Morocco and looks to be the woman to beat.
POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE
DATE:05/09/2017
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