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Marginal men’s favourite for tomorrow Sunday’s early morning race (05.45 start) is Robert Kiprop of Kenya, a former African 5000 metres champion in 2019, who has been back on top form recently, winning a series of domestic cross country races, including the prestigious event in Iten, home of the celebrated St Patrick’s School, which has probably produced more Olympic champions than any comparable educational establishment. For starters, think David Rudisha and Wilson Kipketer, the two fastest 800m men in history.
But Kiprop will be pushed to beat Hicham Anghar of Morocco who has two advantages; firstly he has run here before, albeit in the half-marathon, so knows the gradients on the course; and he also has a much faster time, 27.24 in winning the Prague 10k exactly a year ago. Neither man would be drawn on who might win and told their Thai hosts at Saturday’s press conference that training in the relative cool of altitude – Eldoret for Kiprop, Ifran for Amghar – was the ideal, and the Thais in tomorrow’s race were welcome to come and train with them, and then come back to race in an expected 26C (78F), with a welcome expected light rain.
The women’s race promises to be a better contest with six women between 31 and 32mins, the marginal favourite, if only on time, Faith Chepkoech of Kenya, with her 31.03 from victory in Valence, France in April 2022.
The major race here incidentally, is the Bangsaen half-marathon which takes place this year on December 17. It is a World Athletics platinum label race, which is to say, the top drawer of international road running; evidence of which are the course records and holders, Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia, and Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Lemma won the London Marathon in 2021, and Obiri the Boston Marathon earlier this year.
But the stage set for the 10k runners tomorrow.
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