Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tamirat Tola, world silver medallist in 2017, is the world marathon champion of 2022 after a masterful and ruthless run at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 saw him come home more than a minute clear in a championship record of 2:05:36 on Sunday (17).
His teammate Mosinet Geremew won a protracted battle for silver, pulling clear of Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bashir Abdi over the final kilometre to finish in 2:06.44, with the Belgian taking another big bronze in 2:06.48.&nbsp;
Missing the medal podium by one place was the unlikely figure of Canada&rsquo;s Cameron Levins, who had the consolation of setting a national record of 2:07:09 ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, who clocked 2:07:14.&nbsp;
"It was a dream come true," Tola said. "I learned from my mistake in 2017 (World Championships) and I made sure it did not happen again."&nbsp;
On that occasion, Tola&rsquo;s attempted run for home 10km from the end was thwarted as Kenya&rsquo;s Geoffrey Kirui overtook him to win gold. This time there was no faltering on the 30-year-old Ethiopian&rsquo;s part.&nbsp;
In what was the first event of day three at the championships in Oregon, Tola took more than a minute off the record of 2:06:54 set by Kenya&rsquo;s Abel Kirui at the 2009 edition in Berlin.&nbsp;
But that was no more than an adornment for him on a day when he ran with apparent certainty from start to finish, never being far from the lead in a race that proceeded without undue vigour towards a halfway time of 64 minutes &ndash; comfortable territory for today&rsquo;s elite marathon runner.&nbsp;
Conditions on a course consisting of three 14km loops running through Eugene and Springfield &ndash; home of The Simpsons &ndash; were an overcast sky and temperatures rising, not dramatically, from 13C at the starting time of 6:15am.&nbsp;
But there were no big city marathon pacers here. This was a championship race, with all the uncertainty that has traditionally involved. While the first half offered hope of success for many who were among the event's fastest, that hope was suddenly and ineradicably quashed by the eventual winner in the telling final quarter of the race.&nbsp;
Tola shaped what had been a largely inchoate procession of surging and slacking when he took off between the 33rd&nbsp;and 34th&nbsp;kilometres. It was not a drill.&nbsp;
By the 34km marker his lead was seven seconds. At 35km it was 12 seconds, at 36km it was 17 seconds and at 37km it was 26 seconds. With 5km to go, the gold was gone and the drama of the race resided in which of the chasing group of four &ndash; Abdi, Geremew, Levins and Kamworor &ndash; would share the podium.&nbsp;
Geremew&rsquo;s big move, when it came with a kilometre remaining, was as decisive as that of his compatriot. Very suddenly he was a silver medallist in waiting and Abdi seemed to be looking back down the field a lot in the closing stages, perhaps seeking his training partner Abdi Nageeye, who had so vigorously encouraged him to keep going in pursuit of a medal in Tokyo last summer.&nbsp;
As it happened, Nageeye was one of eight runners who failed to finish, in company with Ethiopia&rsquo;s defending champion Lelisa Desisa, who was not thought to be in good form and who confirmed that speculation as he struggled out of contention by the halfway point.&nbsp;
The race had begun with bad news for Japan, whose charismatic national record-holder Kengo Suzuki did not start.&nbsp;
Local hero Galen Rupp, who had run this course innumerable times as a former alumnus of the University of Oregon, was seeking to add another global marathon medal to the bronze he won at the Rio 2016 Games. But after hitting the front briefly at the halfway point, taking the field through 22km in 66:58, he dropped away to finish 19th&nbsp;in 2:09:36.&nbsp;
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S MARATHON MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Tamirat Tola 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">2:05:36 CR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Mosinet Geremew 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">2:06:44</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Bashir Abdi 🇧🇪 BEL</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">2:06:48</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/results/men/marathon/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022

Tamirat Tola leads an Ethiopian 1-2 ahead of Mosinet Geremew in Oregon

Tola runs championship record to take world marathon title in Oregon

Joan Chelimo Melly and Mosinet Geremew both broke the course records to triumph at the Seoul Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).
Ethiopia&rsquo;s world silver medallist Geremew saw off the challenge of his compatriot Herpasa Negasa and Brazil&rsquo;s Daniel do Nascimento to win the men&rsquo;s race in 2:04:43, while Romania&rsquo;s Melly made a breakthrough to win the women&rsquo;s contest in 2:18:04 ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sutume Asefa Kebede and Bahrain&rsquo;s Eunice Chumba.
Both eventual winners managed to pull away from their rivals over the final couple of kilometres and keep them at bay, but it remained a fight to the finish. Negasa was just six seconds behind Geremew, with Do Nascimento a further two seconds back in a South American record, and Kebede was eight seconds behind Melly, with those five athletes all finishing inside the previous respective course records of 2:05:13 and 2:19:51.
Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento had been part of a 19-strong group that passed 5km in 14:42 and 10km in 29:14. By 20km that pack had 14 members, with 58:43 on the clock. Over the next 10km, three runners were dropped, with Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento among those to the fore along with Kenya&rsquo;s Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich, Philemon Rono and Mark Korir (1:28:41). Rotich, last year&rsquo;s Paris Marathon winner and the 2019 runner-up in Seoul, dropped out a short while later, while Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento began to break away, with the Brazilian Olympian pushing the pace.
Geremew and Negasa then made a move and looked to be leaving Do Nascimento behind, with a six-second gap, 1:43:31 to 1:43:37, at 35km and Korir and Rono another eight seconds back.
But Do Nascimento wasn&rsquo;t giving up and rejoined the leaders to trail by just a few strides as 40km was passed in 1:58:27.
It was London and Chicago runner-up Geremew who was strongest in the closing stages and he held off his challengers to return to winning ways after being unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.
Negasa, who was second in Dubai in 2019, claimed another runner-up spot in 2:04:49, while Do Nascimento improved Ronaldo da Costa&rsquo;s South American record of 2:06:05 &ndash; a world record when it was run in 1998 &ndash; by more than a minute, finishing third in 2:04:51.
Korir was a couple of minutes back in fourth in 2:06:54, one second ahead of Moses Kibet. 
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 In the women&rsquo;s race, Melly &ndash; who has a half marathon best of 1:05:04 and was contesting her fourth marathon &ndash; was among the nine runners who passed 5km in 16:40 and 10km in 32:58. The lead group was down to six at 15km (49:30) and Melly had broken away with 2019 Beijing Marathon winner Kebede, Chumba and Kenya&rsquo;s Celestine Chepchirchir by 20km (1:05:44).
That quartet continued to race through 25km in 1:21:58 and 30km in 1:38:29, and while Olympic seventh-place finisher Chumba was 10 seconds back at 35km &ndash; 1:55:03 to 1:55:13 &ndash; she passed Chepchirchir in the closing stages to finish third, eight seconds ahead.
Melly and Kebede had broken away by 40km, passed in 1:12:16, with Melly eventually striding away to win by eight seconds, 2:18:04 to 2:18:12, and record an almost three-minute PB.
Chumba was third in 2:20:02 and Chepchirchir fourth in 2:20:10, one place off her position in Seoul in 2019.
Seven years after her victory in Seoul, Ethiopia's&nbsp;Guteni Shone finished fifth in 2:28:05.
<h3> Leading results</h3>
Women 1&nbsp;Joan Chelimo Melly (ROU)&nbsp;2:18:04 2&nbsp;Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH)&nbsp;2:18:12 3 Eunice Chumba (BRN)&nbsp;2:20:02 4&nbsp;Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN)&nbsp;2:20:10 5&nbsp;Guteni Shone (ETH)&nbsp;2:28:05
Men 1&nbsp;Mosinet Geremew (ETH)&nbsp;2:04:43 2&nbsp;Herpasa Negasa (ETH)&nbsp;2:04:49 3 Daniel do Nascimento (BRA)&nbsp;2:04:51 4&nbsp;Mark Korir (KEN)&nbsp;2:06:54 5 Moses Kibet (KEN)&nbsp;2:06:55

Joan Chelimo Melly and Mosinet Geremew both broke the course records to triumph at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race.

Melly and Geremew run course records for Seoul Marathon success

Organisers of the Seoul Marathon have assembled what is arguably their strongest ever line-up for the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday (17).
Eight men with sub-2:06 PBs and five women with sub-2:21 lifetime bests are among the highly competitive fields.
World silver medallist Mosinet Geremew heads the men&rsquo;s line-up. The former Ethiopian record-holder, who has a PB of 2:02:55, has finished in top three in eight of his nine completed marathons. He was unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, but he&rsquo;ll return to action on Sunday in a bid to become just the second Ethiopian man in history to win the Seoul Marathon.
If he falls short of that target, compatriot Herpasa Negasa stands a good chance. Runner-up in Dubai in 2019, he is a 2:03:40 performer at his best.
Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich leads the Kenyan charge. A formidable opponent, he won the Paris Marathon last year in a PB of 2:04:21. He also has five other career marathon victories to his name, and he finished second in Seoul in 2019.
Three-time Toronto Marathon winner Philemon Rono is also entered, as is Kenyan compatriot Mark Korir. The 2015 Paris Marathon winner has a 2:05:49 PB and will be making his fifth appearance in Seoul; he has made the podium three times in the Korean city but is yet to win.
Korea&rsquo;s Joohan Oh &ndash; formerly known as Wilson Loyanae of Kenya &ndash; is also familiar with the streets of Seoul, having won the race four times. He also holds the course record at 2:05:13, but his last completed marathon was back in 2019 when he finished second in Gyeongju in 2:08:42.
Ugandan duo Filex Chemonges and Moses Kibet are also worth keeping an eye on. Chemonges, who represented Uganda at the Olympics last year, holds the national record at 2:05:12. Kibet, meanwhile, has only contested two marathons to date but already has a PB of 2:05:20.
Other entered athletes include 2017 Seoul runner-up Felix Kandie of Kenya, Kenneth Keter, Brazilian Olympian Daniel do Nascimento, two-time Amsterdam winner Benard Kipyego, Solomon Kirwa Yego and Martin Kosgey.
The women&rsquo;s race looks just as competitive and similarly tough to call.
Guteni Shone returns to Seoul, seven years after her victory there. Since then, she has also won in Ottawa and Seville, while in more recent years she has finished second in Prague in 2021 and second in Dubai in 2020 &ndash; the latter with a PB of 2:20:11, making her the fastest in the field for Sunday. In fact, she has finished in the top two in her past four marathons and she won&rsquo;t want to relinquish that streak this weekend.
She&rsquo;ll be joined on the start line by two fellow Ethiopians who also have a strong marathon record. Sutume Asefa, winner of the Beijing Marathon in 2019, set a PB of 2:20:30 when finishing third in Tokyo two years ago. Shure Demise, meanwhile, set her PB of 2:20:59 on her debut at the distance in Dubai back in 2015, but has gone on to win in Toronto twice. She also placed third in Tokyo in 2019 and in Chicago in 2018.
Netsanet Gudeta may not have the fastest PB of the elite field &ndash; partly because she has only completed two marathons to date &ndash; but she is a proven contender at the half marathon distance, having won the 2018 world title. Her half marathon PB of 1:05:45 suggests she&rsquo;s capable of improving on her 2:26:09 marathon PB.
Joan Chelimo Melly has an even quicker half marathon PB, 1:05:04, making her one of the fastest women of all time for the distance. The Kenyan has started to move up to the marathon in recent years and has a PB of 2:20:57.
Other Kenyans in the line-up include Agnes Jeruto Barsosio, who was third in Seoul in 2016, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, and Celestine Chepchirchir, who was third in Seoul in 2019. Bahrain&rsquo;s Eunice Chumba, seventh at the Olympics last year, is another one to watch.
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Women Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:20:11 Sutume Asefa (ETH) 2:20:30 Joan Chelimo Melly (KEN) 2:20:57 Agnes Jeruto Barsosio (KEN) 2:20:59 Shure Demise (ETH) 2:20:59 Selly Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:21:06 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23:10 Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:23:38 Netsanet Gudeta&nbsp; (ETH) 2:26:09
Men Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:02:55 Herpasa Negasa (ETH) 2:03:40 Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich (KEN) 2:04:21 Philemon Rono (KEN) 2:05:00 Filex Chemonges (UGA) 2:05:12 Joohan Oh (KOR) 2:05:13 Moses Kibet (UGA) 2:05:20 Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49 Felix Kandie (KEN) 2:06:03 Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:06:05 Daniel do Nascimento (BRA) 2:06:11 Benard Kipyego (KEN) 2:06:19 Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:06:24 Martin Kosgey (KEN) 2:06:41 Vincent Kipsang Rono (KEN) 2:07:10 Lucas Kimeli Rotich (KEN) 2:07:17 Belachew Alemayehu (ETH) 2:07:55 Brian Kipsang (KEN) 2:09:07

Eight men with sub-2:06 PBs and five women with sub-2:21 lifetime bests feature in the line-up

Highly competitive fields ready to clash in Seoul

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mosinet Geremew continued his winning streak at the 13th Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, taking his fourth consecutive title at the IAAF Gold Label road race in 1:01:31 on Sunday (22).
The 26-year-old emerged victorious from a three-man battle in the final kilometre, using similar tactics that had worked so well in his three previous appearances in the Chinese city.
Confident with his powerful finishing sprint, Geremew patiently hid in the lead group until the last kilometre and flat home stretch, where he could launch his final charge for victory.
The organisers had assembled a high-quality field with five sub-60-minute runners but their ambition to witness a course record was ruined by rain in the second half of the race.
Geremew&rsquo;s winning mark is more than one-and-a-half minutes slower than his course record and Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record of 59:52 set in 2015 and further shy of his personal best of 59:11.
The race started under cool and moist conditions with a leading pack of 16 runners hitting the five-kilometre mark in 14:48. But it began to rain after the leaders passed 10 kilometres in 29:23, and only nine men were left by the time the lead group reached the 15km water tables.
After another kilometre, Kenya&rsquo;s Shadrack Kimining, the fifth-place finisher last year with a PB of 1:00:07 set in Ras Al Khaimah, tried to pull away with a series of surges. Although some managed to keep up with Kimining&rsquo;s pace, the leading group shrank quickly.
At about 19km, Kimining was followed by only four men including Geremew, Bahrain&rsquo;s Asian record-holder Abraham Cheroben, Ethiopian teenager Andamlak Belihu, who clocked 59:51 on his debut at the distance last year, and Hiskel Tewelde of Eritrea, the sixth-place finisher in Yangzhou three years ago with a PB of 1:00:29.
After just one kilometre, Belihu and Tewelde also dropped behind. The leading trio kept shoulder-to-shoulder until Geremew took the lead with about 400 metres remaining.
Before breaking the tape, the Ethiopian saluted to the audience alongside the course to celebrate his second triumph of the year following his course-record-breaking feat at the Dubai Marathon with a world-leading of 2:04:00.
The 25-year-old Cheroben, the fastest entrant on paper with a PB of 58:40, improved on his third-place finish in Yangzhou last year to take the second place in 1:01:33, while Kimining finished third in 1:01:35.
Like the men&rsquo;s race, the women&rsquo;s race also saw a three-runner contest in the final kilometre.
Last year&rsquo;s runner-up Ababel Yeshaneh took the top honours in 1:09:06, meaning Ethiopian runners swept both titles for the second year in a row.
The 26-year-old was followed closely by Kenyan duo Joan Melly and last year&rsquo;s fifth-place finisher, Paskalia Chepkorir, with just one kilometre to go. Chepkorir, the 2012 world half marathon bronze medallist, was the first to drop behind and was soon followed by Melly, who was considered the pre-race favourite after her recent 1:05:04 run in Prague.
The 29-year-old Chepkorir, whose PB of 1:07:17 was set back in 2012, took the third place in 1:09:23.
Yeshaneh&rsquo;s winning mark was 1:45 shy of the course record set by 2016 world half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir. It&rsquo;s her second half marathon victory of the year, having won in Istanbul earlier this month in a PB of 1:06:22.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew continued his winning streak at the 13th Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, taking his fourth consecutive title at the IAAF Gold Label road race in 1:01:31 on Sunday (22).

Geremew takes fourth straight win in Yangzhou

Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia only got into the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon at the eleventh hour, and it was a last minute surge in the finishing straight which ensured that he would emerge the victor in a highly competitive men&rsquo;s race that saw him win in a course record 2:04:00, with the top six finishing within 15 seconds, and the top seven under 2:05, the highest number ever in a marathon.
The women&rsquo;s race was equally competitive, with Roza Dereje winning in 2:19:17, another course record, with the top four finishing sub-2:20, another first. Geremew and Dereje both won $200,000 for victory in this 19th edition of this IAAF Gold Label road race.
There might have been additional kudos in the men&rsquo;s race since until well over halfway a dozen men were on world record pace, but inevitably when the pacers dropped out, the remaining half dozen realised they had more pressing business on their hands, ie a race to win.
Accordingly the pace dropped while they looked around at one another for inspiration. Not finding it, they had to rely on themselves, which meant that the contest went virtually to the wire. Last year&rsquo;s winner and course record holder, Tamirat Tola, had looked in control throughout most of the race, but he was baulked at the drinks&rsquo; station in the 35th kilometre, and almost fell. He later said that it affected his hip, yet he wasn&rsquo;t complaining at his third place, but having regained the lead and swinging first into the 500 metre long finishing straight, he was initially bested by debutant Leul Gebresilase who, in turn was relegated by Geremew. Gebresilase finished in 2:04:02, the second fastest debut on record, and Tola was third in 2:04:06.
Geremew&rsquo;s entry was delayed until a week ago, but that didn&rsquo;t deter him as much as the initial pace. &ldquo;It was very fast,&rdquo; he said at the winners&rsquo; press conference, &ldquo;perhaps a little too fast. But then it settled down, and I felt good. Although I wasn&rsquo;t sure I had a chance of winning until between 40 and 41 kilometres&rdquo;.
Gebrsilase pronounced himself well satisfied with his debut, while Tola was reluctant to complain about his &lsquo;accident&rsquo; and third place, belying the look of dismay on his face as he slumped to the ground at the finish.
<h3>Dereje breaks into top-10 all-time</h3>
The women&rsquo;s race turned out the way guest of honour, marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe described her favourite manner of winning, which is to say with a negative split.
&nbsp;
<div id="5a6aff4aaefda309ac177424" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/fff3d5e9-9706-4306-8222-5c282372c8df.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Dubai Marathon course record for Roza Dereje</div>
&nbsp;
What might be called a sedate 70 minutes-plus for the first half ensured that there was a group of over a dozen women still in contention. Although two of the race favourites, three-time former winner and course record holder Aselefech Mergia, and 2015 world champion Mare Dibaba had both gone by then, last year&rsquo;s surprise winner Worknesh Degefa was still in contention with a look of intense concentration on her face. That would propel her to fourth place, some two minutes faster than her winning time last year.
But Dereje, who had always been in the lee of the pacers, then forcing the issue from the front was ensuring that she would turn out the winner. She did that by the simple expedient of raising the pace in the final kilometres such that what had been a regular 3:19/3:20 per kilometre until then was transformed in the final five kilometres to 3:14, 3:16. 3:14, 3:11 and 3:08! Her&nbsp;2:19:17 performance elevated her to the No. 7 position all-time.
Which is why she had plenty of daylight to spare - the sun having risen by then, after the 6am start - when she finished some 14 seconds ahead of Mergia&rsquo;s course record from 2012.
The earlier start and the lowish temperature for Dubai (between 12-16C) will have contributed to the overall improvement. When Haile Gebrselassie competed here a half dozen years ago, the start was at 7am, and he always said the first half was fine until the sun really kicked in. The organisers took note, and moved the start to 6:30am last year, when Tola responded with a 2:04:11 course record. With a 6am start, like his compatriot Degefa, he ran faster this year for a lower placing.
For the Ethiopians in general, it was total domination. They took the first ten men&rsquo;s places; only Desi Jisa of Bahrain in eighth place prevented a top ten Ethiopian women&rsquo;s sweep.
Organisers for the IAAF
Leading results:
MEN - 1. Mosinet Geremew, ETH, 2:04:00 2. Leul Gebresilase, ETH, 2:04:02 3. Tamirat Tola, ETH, 2:04:06 4. Asefa Mengstu, ETH, 2:04:06 5. Sisay Lemma, ETH, 2:04:08 6. Birhanu Legese, ETH, 2:04:15 7. Seifu Tura, ETH, 2:04:44 8. Yenew Alamirew, ETH, 2:08:56 9. Mekuant Ayanew, ETH, 2:09:20 10. Berhanu Teshome, ETH, 2:10:27
WOMEN - 1. Roza Dereje, ETH, 2:19:17 2. Feyse Tadese, ETH, 2:19:30 3. Yebrgual Melese, ETH, 2:19:36 4. Worknesh Degefa, ETH, 2:19:53 5. Haftamnesh Tesfay, ETH, 2:20:13 6. Gelete Burka, ETH, 2:20:45 7. Dera Dida, ETH, 2:21:45 8. Desi Jisa, BRN, 2:24:05 9. Sembere Teferi, ETH, 2:24:11 10. Muliye Dekebo, ETH, 2:26:52

Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia only got into the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon at the eleventh hour, and it was a last minute surge in the finishing straight which ensured that he would emerge the victor in a highly competitive men’s race that saw him win in a course record 2:04:00, with the top six finishing within 15 seconds, and the top seven under 2:05, the highest number ever in a marathon.

Geremew and Dereje take down course records in Dubai

Defending champion Mosinet Geremew will contest the TCS World 10K Bengaluru with several ambitions in mind when he stands on the start line at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on Sunday (21).
Firstly, the Ethiopian will be aiming for his third successive victory, an unprecedented feat as no other runner &ndash; man or woman &ndash; has ever won in Bengaluru more than once since the race started in 2008.
Secondly, he&rsquo;ll be aiming to get back to his thrilling form of 2012 when he twice ran faster than 28 minutes for the distance, culminating in a PB of 27:36.
&ldquo;I love this race and Bengaluru,&rdquo; said Geremew. &ldquo;I have run well here the past two years and there is always a very strong field, and I like to push myself. I am now a confirmed road runner. I feel I have more injuries when I am running on the track, and now a fast marathon is my target after making my debut this year in China [when he finished second at the Xaimen Marathon in 2:10:20].&rdquo;
World 10km record-holder Leonard Komon sat alongside Geremew at the pre-race press conference on Thursday.
The Kenyan struggled with injuries during 2015 and 2016 but has shown significant signs earlier this year of the form that took him to into the record books in 2010 when he ran 26:44.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first time in India and I am privileged to be here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My training has been going well again now that my injuries are gone. I am ready to do my best.&rdquo;
Like Komon, New Zealand&rsquo;s Zane Robertson is racing in India for the first time.
Robertson ran his 10km best of 27:28 when winning in Berlin last October, which stood up as the fastest time in the world in 2016, and he is aiming to be the first man from outside East Africa to win the race.
Nevertheless, Kenya has played a big part in Robertson&rsquo;s elevation to being a world-class runner.
Now 27, Robertson expanded on his intriguing back story which has meant he has trained in Kenya regularly since he was a teenager, including in recent months.
&ldquo;In high school, my brother and I didn&rsquo;t fit in with all the other kids and we joined running clubs,&rdquo; said Robertson.
&ldquo;We met Kenyan runners and then asked if we could go to train there. They were extremely welcoming, our parents thought we were a little crazy but they supported us. Initially it was hard, we were only 17, but we are now top of the world and competing with the Africans.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Kenyans have a genetic advantage; it's how you grow up. Our mother encouraged us to eat right, a natural diet, and we ran to school. We had an active lifestyle and ran cross country bare foot. It's what you eat and how you train.&rdquo;
The course record of 27:44, set by Kenya&rsquo;s Geoffrey Kamworor in 2014, will be in the sights of all the top men&rsquo;s runners.
Irene Cheptai made the headlines when she won the world cross-country title in March. The diminutive Kenyan will be having her first competition since that race in Bengaluru.
With a 10km best of 31:45 from 2014, Cheptai&rsquo;s own target is the women&rsquo;s course record of 31:48 set by her compatriot Lucy Kabuu three years ago.
&ldquo;I celebrated my gold medal with my family but now it is time to start competing again,&rdquo; said Cheptai. &ldquo;My aim this summer will be the 10,000m at the World Championships in London.&rdquo;
She will be challenged by fellow Kenyan and 2012 winner Helah Kiprop. &ldquo;This is actually my sixth time in Bengaluru and I always enjoy the race even if I have not won since my first time,&rdquo; said the world marathon silver medallist. &ldquo;I finished second last year so maybe I can win again.&rdquo;
Approximately 24,000 runners will take to the roads of Bengaluru for the five different races in what has become an annual event on the third Sunday in May. This year the elite runners will compete for prize money totalling USD$ 205,059.
Organisers for the IAAF

Defending champion Mosinet Geremew will contest the TCS World 10K Bengaluru with several ambitions in mind when he stands on the start line at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on Sunday (21).

Geremew, Komon and Robertson confident ahead of World 10K Bengaluru

Ethiopia&rsquo;s defending champion Mosinet Geremew will return to the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2017 with the aim of acquiring his third successive victory at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on Sunday 21 May.
The 25-year-old Geremew will arrive in Bengaluru in good form on the evidence of his 1:00:56 win over a strong field at the Yangzhou International Half Marathon in China last month but he will still have his work cut out in his bid for a hat-trick of titles as he will line up against world record-holder Leonard Komon from Kenya.
Komon clocked his time of 26:44 in Utrecht back in 2010 and he started this year in good form, his results including a 12th-place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.
Among the other runners expected to challenge Geremew are two men who have run faster than the defending champion&rsquo;s personal best of 27:36, New Zealand&rsquo;s Zane Robertson and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Birhanu Legese.
Robertson, an Olympic 10,000m finalist last year, clocked a world-leading PB of 27:28 when winning in Berlin last October.
Legese has 10km personal best of 27:38 and is no stranger to Indian road races. He was an impressive winner of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2015 when he clocked 59:20.
Kenya&rsquo;s Edwin Kiptoo and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Guye Adola are also worth keeping an eye on. Neither man has yet run faster than 28 minutes for 10km on the roads but both of them have already run within 60 minutes for the half marathon this year and will be out to substantially revise their personal bests over the shorter distance in Bengaluru.
The target time for all the top runners is the men&rsquo;s course record of 27:44, set by Kenya&rsquo;s Geoffrey Kamworor in 2014.
The women&rsquo;s course record also belongs to a Kenyan, Lucy Kabuu, who clocked 31:48 in 2014.
That time looks well within the grasp of world cross-country champion Irene Cheptai, also from Kenya, who has only had a handful of road races but can boast of a best of 31:45 set at altitude in Nairobi.
Cheptai is one of five women who have PBs faster than course record, including her compatriot Gladys Chesir. Chesir is also the fastest woman in the field with 30:41 from when she won in Berlin two years ago.
Among the Kenyan pair&rsquo;s rivals will be Ethiopia&rsquo;s Wude Yimer, who won this race in 2010 and was placed second and third in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Approximately 24,000 runners will take to the roads of Bengaluru for the five different races in what has become an annual event on the third Sunday in May.
Organisers for the IAAF
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Men Leonard Komon (KEN) 26:44 Zane Robertson (NZL) 27:28 Birhanu Legese (ETH) 27:34 Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 27:36 Mumin Gala (DJI) 27:51 Mule Wasihun (ETH) 27:57 Abrar Osman (ERI) 28:05 Solomon Deksisa (ETH) 28:14 Bonsa Dida (ETH) 28:16 Edwin Kiptoo (KEN)28:20 Abdallah Mande (UGA) 28:20 Guye Adola (ETH) 28:22 Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN) 28:25 Hiskel Tewelde (ERI) debut Onesphore Nzikwinkunda (BDI) debut
Women Gladys Chesir (KEN) 30:41 Wude Yimer (ETH) 31:07 Sofiya Shemsu (ETH) 31:23 Helah Kiprop (KEN) 31:44 Irene Cheptai (KEN) 31:45 Worknesh Degefa (ETH) 31:53 Failuna Matanga (TAN) 32:48 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 33:04 Nazret Weldu (ERI) 33:22 Desi Jisa (BRN) 33:35 Mimi Belete (BRN) debut

Ethiopia’s defending champion Mosinet Geremew will return to the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2017 with the aim of acquiring his third successive victory at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on Sunday 21 May.

Geremew and Cheptai lead entries for World 10K Bengaluru

An outstanding home stretch sprint from Mosinet Geremew landed the Ethiopian with his third consecutive title at the Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race staged in the historic Chinese city on Sunday (23).
As the first ever sub-60-minute half marathon runner on Chinese soil, Geremew used the same strategy as he had done in Yangzhou for three years: patiently staying in the lead group, keeping pace closely with whoever pulls away and sprinting out for the win in the final few hundred meters.
That simple strategy led Geremew to a course record of 59:52 in 2015 when he won by three seconds, while last year he held off four runners to retain the title with a margin of just one second.
But this time Geremew&rsquo;s winning margin was even narrower.
Running under sunny conditions, a lead group of 22 runners paced the race to the three-kilometre mark in 8:48. After passing 5km, the lead group was trimmed to 17.
After another kilometre, 26-year-old Leonard Kipkoech Langat, who has a PB of 59:52 set when finishing third at the 2011 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, and Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2011 world cross-country champion Imane Merga tried to pull away. But their efforts came to nothing as they were soon caught by the chasers.
Kenya&rsquo;s Wilson Kiprop Tuitoek started to run at the front after eight kilometres, pacing a lead pack of 16 to 10km in 28:41. And after another two kilometres, the pacing duties were taking up by Kenya&rsquo;s Shadrack Kimining Korir, who was aiming to improve on the PB of 1:00:07 he set at the RAK Half Marathon in February.
Korir remained in the front pack for more than four kilometres before Cheroben launched his charge at 17km. This time only Langat, two-time defending champion Geremew and Kenya&rsquo;s Nobert Kigen, a 59:42 half marathoner who finished fourth at the recent Seoul Marathon in 2:06:07, managed to keep up with him.
The quartet remained shoulder-to-shoulder until Geremew&rsquo;s powerful dash before the line awarded him the narrow victory, emerging victorious from the four-man battle to win by just 15 hundredths of a second. His winning mark of 1:00:56 is 1:45 shy of his personal best set in New Delhi in 2014.
Langat was given the same time in second place, while Asian record-holder Cheroben was third in 1:00:57.
<h3>Asefa ends Kenya&rsquo;s three-year winning streak</h3>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sutume Asefa, who has a PB of 1:08:23 and finished fourth at the 2016 Dubai Marathon in 2:24:00, clocked 1:10:30 to take the women&rsquo;s title, putting an end to the three consecutive victories achieved by Kenyan women in Yangzhou.
In a similarly close race, a group of 10 women paced the first half and the leading group kept shrinking before only Asefa and her compatriot Ababel Yeshaneh, the Olympic 10,000m finalist, were left in the front after 17km.
The 25-year-old Yeshaneh, whose PB of 1:07:52 was set last year in New Delhi, followed Asefa closely until the final kilometre but could not withstand Asefa&rsquo;s final charge and had to settle with second place in 1:10:38.
Kirghizstan&rsquo;s Daria Maslova, who set a national 10,00m record of 31:36.90 at last year&rsquo;s Olympics, added another national record to her name as she cut 3:02 off her PB to finish third in 1:11:06.
A total of 18,000 runners competed in the half marathon event on Sunday and some 17,000 took part in the spin-off 10km and 6.2km fun run races.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

An outstanding home stretch sprint from Mosinet Geremew landed the Ethiopian with his third consecutive title at the Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race staged in the historic Chinese city on Sunday (23).

Geremew completes Yangzhou Half Marathon hat-trick

Defending champion Mosinet Geremew is the first two-time winner in the 11 year history of Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon. The 25-year-old Ethiopian will return to the historic Chinese city in a bid to win a third consecutive title at this IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (23).
Geremew registered the first-ever sub-60-minute half marathon on Chinese soil in 2015, setting a course record of 59:52 as he edged Kenya&rsquo;s runner-up Geoffrey Kirui by just three seconds. Last year Geremew once again benefited from his powerful home stretch running abilities, winning a five-man battle in the last 300 metres to retain his title with a scant one-second margin in 1:00:43.
This time Geremew, who has a personal best of 59:11 set in 2014 when he finished third in New Delhi, will face an even tougher challenge as the organisers have assembled a strong field with eleven sub-one hour runners in the race.&nbsp;
Ethiopia&rsquo;s national record holder Atsedu Tsegay is the fastest man on paper with a PB of 58:47 set when winning the 2012 Prague Half Marathon, the fifth fastest performance of all-time. The 25-year-old has also showed solid form in 2017, clocking 1:00:58 en route to runner-up finish at the Marugame International Half Marathon in Japan in February.
Bahrain&rsquo;s Asian record holder Abraham Cheroben is the other sub-59 runner on the entry list. The 24-year-old won the 2014 Valencia Half Marathon in 58:48, the fastest time that year and sixth fastest of all time, and went on to win in Valencia in 59:10 the next year, which was also the world leading half marathon time recorded in 2015. More recently Cheroben finished tenth in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympic Games in 27:31.86.
As the world record holder for 10km and 15km, Leonard Patrick Komon is also a serious contender. The 29-year-old Kenyan set his PB of 59:14 in his half marathon debut in 2014 and this season finished 12th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.
Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom, winner in 2014, will also be aiming to reclaim the title. It will be his fourth appearance in Yangzhou following two third place finishes in 2013 and 2015 respectively. In 2014 he clocked a winning time of 1:00:08, which stood as the course record until Geremew broke it one year later.
It would also be unwise to neglect Ethiopia&rsquo;s Endeshaw Negesse, who has a fast marathon PB of 2:04:52 set at the 2013 Dubai Marathon where he finished fourth. In 2015 Negesse won the Tokyo Marathon with 2:06:00, the second fastest time of his career. But last year he was hampered by injuries and did not compete.
<h3>Wacera vs Yalew in the women&rsquo;s contest</h3>
Reigning world half marathon champion and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, who set a course record of 1:17:21 last year, will not compete in Yangzhou this time. Her countrywoman Mary Wacera will be the biggest hope to extend Kenya&rsquo;s three-year winning steak in the women&rsquo;s race.
The 28-year-old clocked a PB of 1:06:29 to win the 2016 Houston Half Marathon, setting the USA all-comers&rsquo; record. She went on to finish third at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships in 1:07:54, following her second finish of 1:07:44 at the same event in 2014.
Wacera has also been enjoying a successful season in 2017, winning the World&rsquo;s Best 10k in San Juan for the third time in 31:41 and finishing third at the Houston Half Marathon in 1:08:38 in January.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Genet Yalew could be the biggest threat to Wacera. Yalew set her PB of 1:06:26 when finishing third at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon last year, a mark that puts her 13th on the all-time list. The last half marathon victory for the 2011 world junior cross country silver medallist was last October when she clocked 1:10:25 to win in Lisbon.
Kenya&rsquo;s Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech, 28, is another woman to watch. She clocked 1:07:58 to finish third in Yangzhou last year, 41 seconds shy of her PB set back in 2012. She is also the bronze medallist at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2012 and seventh place finisher in Cardiff last year.
The field also includes Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ababel Yeshaneh who has a PB of 1:07:52 set when she finished second in New Delhi last year, as well as two sub-69 minute runners, Mercy Jerotich Kibarus of Kenya with a PB of 1:08:13 and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sutume Asefa who has a PB of 1:08:23.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

Defending champion Mosinet Geremew is the first two-time winner in the 11 year history of Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon. The 25-year-old Ethiopian will return to the historic Chinese city in a bid to win a third consecutive title at this IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (23).

Geremew targetting hat-trick in Yangzhou

Beating hot and humid conditions, Mosinet Geremew and Peres&nbsp;Jepchirchir powered to impressive victories at the ninth TCS World 10K in&nbsp;Bengaluru on Sunday (15).&nbsp;
Taking control of the men's race in the eighth kilometre, Geremew held on to win in 28:36 to become the first athlete to secure back-to-back titles in Bengaluru.&nbsp;Jepchirchir, the world half marathon champion, broke from the field in the seventh kilometre to win in 32:15, 13 seconds clear of her Kenyan compatriot Helah Kiprop.&nbsp;
Given the difficult conditions &ndash; a start time temperature of nearly 33C along with 90 percent humidity &ndash; both races began conservatively, particularly the women&rsquo;s which consisted of the finest field ever assembled in India&rsquo;s high-tech capital.
Expecting the conditions to take their toll, Jepchirchir decided to run from the front early on in an effort to control the race. Her prediction proved correct: after just five kilometres, covered in a modest 16:31, only seven women remained in contention. A kilometre later that number was reduced to three: Jepchirchir, Rio-bound marathoner Kiprop and Ethiopian Wude Ayalew, the race winner in 2010.
Just beyond the 7km marker Jepchirchir made her bold break, building a nine-second lead by 8km and extending it to 13 seconds with one kilometre to go. Never threatened, she maintained that margin through the finish to collect her fourth victory in as many races this year and a cheque for US$23,000.
&ldquo;The weather really was hot, but when I saw on my watch how slow the first three kilometres were, I said to myself, 'let me push'. So I pushed,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who followed up her victory at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Cardiff 2016 with a win at the Yangzhou Half Marathon just three weeks ago. Those recent victories, she said, laid the foundation for the confidence she displayed in the race&rsquo;s second half.
&ldquo;After seven kilometres I saw that I'm still strong, so knew that if I continued like this, I'll win.&rdquo;
World marathon silver medallist Kiprop finished second in 32:28 with Ayalew, a former course record-holder and runner-up here last year, third in 32:33.
A different kind of drama played out in the men&rsquo;s contest. After a cautious pace in the early stages did little to break up the lead pack of 12,&nbsp;Mule Wasihun, a sub-2:06 marathoner, decided to take matters into his own hands.
The 23-year-old Ethiopian made a big move in the 12th minute, opening a gap of some 30 metres on his nearest pursuer and he held on to a six-second lead after eight kilometres. But with the sun beating down, he soon paid for his impatience.
Slowing markedly, he was eventually caught by Geremew when the clock read 25 minutes even, at which point the defending champion took command.&nbsp;Tailed by Kenyan John Langat and Bonsa Dida until the trio entered the Shree Kanteerava stadium for a final lap on the track, Geremew valiantly fended them off for his second successive one-second victory.
&ldquo;It was different this year because it was very hot,&rdquo; said Geremew, who like Jepchirchir arrived in Bengaluru on the heels of a win at the Yangzhou Half Marathon. &ldquo;But at 9km I was sure that I would win.&rdquo;
Despite the heat, he added with a smile, &ldquo;I think I will come back next year.&rdquo;&nbsp;Langat clocked 28:37 in second, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dida third in 28:42.
Organisers for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men 1 Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 28:36&nbsp; 2 John Langat (KEN) 28:37&nbsp; 3 Bonsa Dida (ETH) 28:42&nbsp; 4 Abdallah Mande (UGA) 28:46 5 Alex Korio (KEN) 28:49&nbsp; 6 Geoffrey Korir (KEN) 28:57&nbsp; 7 Nicholas Rotich (KEN) 29:06&nbsp; 8 Gideon Kipketer (KEN) 29:09&nbsp; 9 Mule Wasihun (ETH) 29:15 10 Fredrick Kipkosgei (KEN) 29:34&nbsp;
Women 1 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 32:15&nbsp; 2 Helah Kiprop (KEN) 32:28&nbsp; 3 Wude Ayalew (ETH) 32:33&nbsp; 4 Edith Chelimo (KEN) 32:50&nbsp; 5 Rose Chelimo (KEN) 32:54&nbsp; 6 Jackline Chepngeno (KEN) 32:57&nbsp; 7 Linet Masai (KEN) 33:25&nbsp; 8 Magdalyne Masai (KEN) 34:06&nbsp; 9 Swati Gadhave (IND) 34:45&nbsp; 10 Agnes Tirop (KEN) 35:08&nbsp;

Beating hot and humid conditions, Mosinet Geremew and Peres Jepchirchir powered to impressive victories at the ninth TCS World 10K in Bengaluru on Sunday (15). 

Jepchirchir and Geremew reign supreme in Bengaluru

World half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir shattered the women&rsquo;s course record at the 2016 Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, improving it by almost a minute when winning in 1:07:21 on Sunday (24).
The 23-year-old Kenyan barely met any challenge during the race. After building an early lead, Jepchirchir hit the 10km mark in 31:20 and kept extending her advantage until the finish.
She trimmed 55 seconds off the former course record of 1:08:16 set by compatriot Gladys Cherono in 2014.
Jepchirchir&rsquo;s winning time in Yangzhou was also ten seconds faster than the result she achieved when claiming the gold medal at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff last month and the second fastest of her csreer after her personal best of 1:06:39 in the RAK Half Marathon 10 weeks ago.
The 22-year-old Birhane Dibaba, of Ethiopia, the winner of the Tokyo Marathon last year, clocked 1:07:47 to take the second place, taking more than two minutes of her best for the distance, while Kenya&rsquo;s 2012 world half marathon championships bronze medalist Pascalia Kipkoech, 27, finished third in 1:07:58, her fastest half marathon for three years.
The 25-year-old Worknesh Degefa, who set an Ethiopian national record of 1:06:14 when finishing second at the Prague Half Marathon earlier this month, competed in Yangzhou for the fourth consecutive year but the fastest woman in the field she failed to live up to expectations and could only finished fourth in 1:09:06.
It was the first time for Degefa to miss a medal in Yangzhou after she set a course record of 1:08:43 to win in 2013 and finished as the runner-up in the past two years.
<h3>Geremew becomes first runner to retain title</h3>
In the 11-year history of Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, Mosinet Geremew became the first runner, man or woman, to ever manage to win a second title.
The 24-year-old Ethiopian set a Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record of 59:52 last year, the first runner under an hour on the course and although he was not as quick this year, he defended his title in a winning time of 1:00:43.
Unlike the lopsided women&rsquo;s race, the man&rsquo;s race was decided by a five-man battle in the last 300 metres.
Thanks to his powerful sprint over the final few hundred metres, Geremew, whose can boast of a best of 59:11, won by one second from Kenya&rsquo;s Edwin Kipyego.
Tanzania&rsquo;s Emmanuel Giniki took a surprising early lead, going out in front after just one kilometre.
The 27-year-old passed 5km in 13:53 with the Kenyan duo Dickson Chumba and Morris Muene Gachaga lagging 10 seconds behind, and defending champion Geremew remaining in the third group with several other runners.
Giniki kept pacing the race through the 10km mark in 28:07 and although the pace slowed slightly over the next five kilometres, beating the hour was still a possibility and the course record potentially in jeopardy as Giniki passed 15km in 42:49, followed by a four-man chasing group which included Geremew, Gachaga, Kipyego and Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia.
The chasing pack caught up with a slowing Ginki after 18 kilometres but the five runners, now more concerned with winning rather than the clock, stayed together until Geremew launched his powerful charge for the victory.
The 25-year-old Kipyego, whose best is 59:30 from when finished third in Copenhagen last year, took the second place in 1:00:44 while Houston Half Marathon record holder Lilesa (59:22) finished third in 1:00:45.
Gachaga set a personal best of 1:00:46 to finish fourth and the audacious long-time leader Ginki also ran faster than he had ever done before for the distance to finish fifth in 1:00:47.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

World half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir shattered the women’s course record at the 2016 Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, improving it by almost a minute when winning in 1:07:21 on Sunday (24).

World champion Jepchirchir sets course record at Yangzhou Half Marathon

World half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will lead the field at the TCS World 10K in the Indian city of Bengaluru on Sunday May 15.
The 22-year-old Kenyan beat some of her more favoured compatriots in Cardiff to land her first global title.
&ldquo;I am slowly getting used to it,&rdquo; she said of her new role as a world champion. &ldquo;It still feels strange, but very good.&rdquo;
A party in her honour that awaited her back home in Kapsabet probably helped the new superlative sink in.
&ldquo;When I returned to Kenya from Cardiff, my church community organised a party for me with more than 100 people. It was a fantastic moment, we danced and sang.&rdquo;
Jepchirchir arrived at the championships with solid credentials, boosted by a 1:06:39 run at the RAK Half Marathon in February. But expectations weren&rsquo;t high, as she was only fourth in Ras Al Khaimah, finishing behind two runners she would face again in Cardiff, and was just the third fastest on the Kenyan squad.
However, all that mattered little when she pulled away over the final 200 metres to claim her first world title.
&ldquo;Winning in Cardiff improved my self-esteem and convinced me that a good constant training and professionalism are essential to reach the best goals. I don&rsquo;t think (being a world champion) will add a lot of pressure but it will surely be more challenging. My career and experience has taught me that if you feel confident in your training you cannot fear the other runners, but you must simply give your best.&rdquo;
Despite her global achievement this year, 10km might be her better distance. She has a personal best of 30:55 from 2015, which suggests that an assault on the TCS World 10K course record of 31:46, set by fellow Kenyan Lucy Kabuu in 2014, could be in the works.
Jepchirchir said she is aiming for a spot on the Kenyan Olympic team in the 10,000m, and her outing in Bengaluru will prove a good gauge ahead of &nbsp;the national trials in late June.
Nevertheless, Jepchirchir will not even be the fastest woman in the race as that honour belongs to another Kenyan, Gladys Chesire, whose 30:41 run in Berlin last October placed her as the ninth fastest on the all-time list.
Wude Ayalew of Ethiopia, a former course record-holder, returns after a runner-up finish last year.
Agnes Tirop, the 2015 world cross country champion who'll be making her road running debut, is another runner to watch, along with Jackline Chepngeno, an outstanding runner at youth and junior levels who will be making her second Bengaluru appearance.
<h3>Geremew set for title defence</h3>
In the men&rsquo;s race, Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia will return to defend the title he won in 2015.
Last year, the Ethiopian, now 24, edged compatriot Fikadu Seboka by just two seconds in 28:16, a strong performance given the relatively difficult Bengaluru course.
"The course is not so smooth in some areas so you have to be careful," said Geremew, who won the Hyderabad 10K three years ago in 27:36, the fastest 10km ever run on Indian soil. "Bengaluru is a big and colorful race and I am really looking forward to coming back."
Geremew is one of eight men in the field who has dipped under 28 minutes for 10km, led by Morocco&rsquo;s Mohamed Ziani, who clocked 27:28 in Casablanca in March.
The men's field also includes Patrick Makau, the former world record-holder in the marathon who will be racing for the first time in India.
Look out also for Kenyans Edwin Kipyego, the winner at this year's Den Haag Half Marathon who has a 27:36 best, and Josphat Bett, the 2008 world junior 10,000m champion who has a 27:45 best.
Two-time Amsterdam Marathon winner Bernard Kipyego, who has clocked 28:04, shouldn't be discounted either.
Organisers for the IAAF

World half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will lead the field at the TCS World 10K in the Indian city of Bengaluru on Sunday May 15.