TCS World 10K Bangalore/India – Defending champ Mbishei of Kenya and Ethiopian Aselefech lead elite fields for TCS World 10K

Defending champion Titus Mbishei of Kenya and last year's runner-up, Moses Kipsiro of Uganda will return to defend their positions and lead the superfast foreign elite men's field in the TCS World 10K Bangalore, to be flagged off from the Shree Kanteerava Stadium on June 5, 2011, according to a release from event promoters on Procam International on Thursday.

The other leading men in the fray are Ethiopian Lilesa Desisa, runner up the Delhi Half Marathon, 2011, Kenyan Micah Kogo, who has clocked the second fastest 10km ever and South African champion Stephen Mokoka, to name a few.

The foreign elite women's field will be led by Asslefech Mergia of Ethiopia, runner-up last year and winner of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2010 and will also have in the fray, Kenyan Grace Momanyi, joint winner of the historic tied finish in 2008 and third placed finisher last year.

Lending weight to the women's field will be Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, winner of the New York Marathon, 2011 and the two Ethiopians, Koren Yal, winner of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2011 and Dire Tune, former winner of the Boston Marathon.

Ethiopian Ejigayehu Dibaba, the 1000m silver medalist at the Athens Olympics is also expected to be one of the front runners for the title.

According to Ian Ladbrooke, Elite Athletes Coordinator, the field for both the men and women is the strongest ever and new course records in both categories were a strong possibility. The course record for men, of 27.51minutes, stands in the name of Eritrean Zersenay Tadesse, clocked in 2008, while the record for women, of 31.58, was set last year by Ethiopian Yimer Wude. The overall men's and women's winners stand to gain USD 21,000 each.

Titus Mbishei is in great form, having clocked a personal best of 27.32 while winning the Marseille 10K on May 1, 2011 and will be looking to carry this form into the TCS World 10K on June 5 as he hopes to retain his title and also have a go at the course record.

Moses Kipsiro, last year's runner-up and the athlete to complete the first long distance double in the Commonwealth Games in 72 years, when he won the 5000m and 10000m at the 2010 Games, will also be looking to go one better than his second position finishes in 2010 as well as in 2008, where he had clocked 27.54, the same as Mbishei's winning time of 2010.

However, the fastest athlete in the field is Kenyan Micah Kogo, the second fastest ever 10km runner. Kogo, the bronze medalist in the Beijing Olympics 10,000m, clocked 27.01 in March 2009 to break Haille Gebrselassie's 2002 mark of 27.02 and his timing still remains the second fastest ever.

The other athletes expected to push the pace in the men's race are Kenyan Philomen Limo, who clocked a personal best of 27.35 at the Marseille 10K on May 1, Tanzanian Ezikiel Jafari (PB 27.39), Ethiopian Azmeraw Bekele (PB 27.43) and Kenyan Leonard Langat (PB 27.50).

Source: TCS World 10K Bangalore/India