Kitwara regains title, Ejigu notches victorious 10km debut in San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Kenya’s Sammy Kitwara beat a top class field and Ethiopia’s Sentayehu Ejigu made a successful debut over 10Km to take the top honours of the 14th World’s Best 10K, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (27) afternoon on the Teodoro Moscoso bridge in the Puerto Rican capital.

Kitwara ran solo after the eighth kilometre to regain his title win in 2009. The runner-up last year, Kitwara won comfortably in 27:35, ahead of Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel (27:45) and Lelisa Desisa (28:02).

Kenya’s World record holder Daniel Komon (28:05) and 2010 World Cross Country champion Joseph Ebuya (28:07) had to settle for fourth and fifth, respectively, ahead of countryman and defending champion Moses Masai (28:28).

In the women’s race, Ejigu, the 2010 World indoor 3000m bronze medallist, led an Ethiopian sweep with a 31:50 win, followed by compatriots Dire Tune (31:51) and Atsede Habtamu (31:54). Kenya’s Grace Momanyi finished fourth in 32:06.

Both winners bagged US$20,000 for their efforts.

Kitwara breaks away in eighth kilometre

With a temperature at 25 C and 62% humidity, the race started at 5:25 pm and the Kenyan runners immediately took control of the race. Ebuya led a pack of 12 African athletes and covered the first kilometre in 2:43. The pack kept the tempo, passing the second and third kilometres in 5:27 and 8:12.

At the half way mark, covered in 13:43, the leading pack had shrunk to four Kenyans (Kitwara, Komon, Ebuya and Masai) and two Ethiopians.

Masai was the first to be dropped by the sixth kilometre (16:25) and shortly later, Ebuya, Kitwara and Gebremakel left Komon and Desisa behind to lead the proceedings.

Ebuya could not keep up with the pace and it was down to Kitwara and Gebremakel. They ran side by side until the eighth kilometre, when the 2009 champion changed gear to move 20 metres ahead and sped up to secure the victory.

A fast finishing Desisa overtook Komon and Ebuya to round up the podium positions.

Leading Results:

Men –
1. Sammy Kitwara KEN 27:35
2. Dejen Gebremeskel ETH 27:45
3. Lelisa Desisa ETH 28:02
4. Leonard Komon KEN 28:05
5. Joseph Ebuya KEN 28:07
6. Moses Masai KEN 28:28
7. Chibet Kwanbai KEN 28:35
8. Jacob Jarso ETH 28:59
9. Shadrack Kosgel KEN 29:02
10. Hicham Bellani MAR 29:25

Women –
1. Sentayehu Ejigu ETH 31:50
2. Dire Tune ETH 31:51
3. Habtamu Atedese ETH 31:54
4. Momanyi Grace KEN 32:05
5. Gesabwa Risper KEN 32:34
6. El Kamch Zhor MAR 33:02
7. Gobena Amane ETH 33:17
8. Tufa Tigis ETH 34:04
9. Haile Kebebush ETH 34:21
10. Beverly Ramos PUR 34:40

For full results and more details, please click on www.wb10k.com