BENGALURU: Kenya's 2016 Olympic Games 10,000m silver medallist Paul Tanui will be among the top stars in the international elite field at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) World 10K Bengaluru to be run on Sunday.
Another Kenyan Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli, who was fourth in the 5,000m race at Tokyo Olympics, will be among podium contenders as race promoters Procam International announced the full elite field for the World Athletics Elite Label Race.
Tanui's road racing record is, however, modest. He clocked his personal best of 28:39 when he finished sixth in the 2019 TCS World 10K. But on the track, the Japan-based runner has an outstanding record and has a best of 26:49.41.
In addition to his Rio silver medal, Tanui has three World Athletics Championships 10,000m bronze medals to his name as well as a World Cross Country Championships silver medal.
His younger compatriot Kipkorir Kimeli was the 2017 African U-20 champion in 10,000m on the track and will arrive in Bengaluru in very good shape after running 12:55 for 5km on the road last month.
Fellow Kenyan Bravin Kipkogei succeeded Kipkorir Kimeli as the African U-20 10,000m champion in 2019. He made a big impression when he finished sixth in the famous 2020 Valencia Half Marathon, in which compatriot Kibiwott Kandie set a world record of 57:32, despite having been originally employed as a pacemaker.
Kipkogei has raced sparingly in 2021 and 2022 but has the pedigree to make an impact in Bengaluru.
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 outings over that distance in 2022, culminating in a win in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 59:30 just nine days ago.
Another man in great shape at the moment is the 2015 world U-20 cross country champion Yasin Haji of Ethiopia who has twice run 27:00 for 10km in recent weeks, firstly in the French city of Lille in March and then in Herzogenaurach.
In total, eight men in this year's race have run faster -- either on the track or on the road -- than the course record of 27:44 set by Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor in 2014
In the women's race, a number of young and talented road runners from Kenya and Ethiopia have been added to the elite field to challenge the three well-known names that have already been announced.
Faith Cherono, from Kenya, is just 19-year-old and had a sensational international debut less than two months ago when she stunned onlookers with a superb win over 10km in Lille in 31:06. She followed that up by improving to 30:50 in Herzogenaurach.
Ethiopia's Tesfaye Nigsti is only two seconds slower than Cherono over 10km and has been in good form in half marathons recently, clocking a personal best of 1:06:17 in Valencia last October and going close to that mark twice in March, her only two races in 2022.
Seven women in this year's race have personal bests quicker 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 $210,000, with the men's and women's winners taking home $26,000 and course record bonus of an additional $8,000 on offer.
