Top runners for 10K Bangalore run

Bangalore, May 6 (IANS) Defending champion Alex Oloitiptip among men, and winner of seven medals at World Championships Linet Masai on the women's side will headline a quality elite field in the TCS World 10K Bangalore run to be held here May 18.

Announcing this at a media conference here Tuesday, promoters Procam International said the total registrations received for the upcoming run had crossed 25,000, crossing last year's count by around 3,000 registrations.

Besides Oloitiptip, the elite field also includes the likes of Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, Lucy Kabuu and Meselech Melkamu and their track and field counterparts Moses Kipsiro, Vincent Chepkok, Linet Masai and Ababel Yeshaneh.

Kamworor, winner of the Bangalore 10K in 2012, ran the fastest half-marathon of 2013, while Kabuu is among the world's leading female distance runners, and Melkamu was one of the fastest debutants in marathon in 2012.

Kipsiro won the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi while Chepkok was the eighth fastest athlete in 10,000m in 2013, Masai has won several medals at the World Championships in different events, and Yeshaneh was the fifth fastest female runner over 10,000m in 2013.

The exciting men's field includes 14 athletes who have run the 10 km just above 28 minutes on either track or road and poses a strong challenge to the existing course record.

The men's record stands at 27:51 minutes, set by Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese in 2008, while the women's mark is 31:58 by Ethiopian Yimer Wude in 2010. An added incentive of USD 7,500 is up for grabs for the new course record.

Nagaraj Ijari, Vice-President and Global Head Hi-Tech and Professional Services Business Segment, TCS, said: "We stand on the threshold of yet another edition of the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014, an event that continues to change the way the world looks at 10K runs.

"We are glad to present improved events each year and look forward to welcoming top track and field and roadrunners from across the world, within India, and from Bangalore to the run. We wish them the very best as they train for the run."

While the elite athletes will be clubbed together, the Open 10K Run with contests 'Nike - The Young and The Fast' and the 'DHL Corporate Champions', has received around 13,200 entries, while the Majja Run has attracted 10,600 registrations.

The Senior Citizens' Run will have over 750, while the event for the Champions with Disability will see 250 participants. Besides these races, the feature events of the day will be the World 10K for elite men and women.