Kiplagat, Kinyanjui face record-chasing Kejelcha in Spain

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha is chasing another record-breaking performance at the 10K Facsa Castellón, a World Athletics Label road race, set for Sunday 16 February.

The 27-year-old may have lost his world indoor mile record last Saturday but he’s still the world half marathon record-holder, thanks to his stunning 57:30 run in Valencia last October.

Soon after that race, he turned his attention to taking down the world 10km record of 26:24 in Castellon.

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Burundi’s Castellón-based Rodrigue Kwizera will be the pacemaker and he has been tasked with reaching the halfway point in 13:12.

Kejelcha isn’t the only athlete in the field capable of finishing inside 27 minutes. Kenya’s world cross country bronze medalist and 2021 world U20 5000m champion Benson Kiplangat has Personal Best (PBs) of 12:58.78 for 5000m and 26:55.09 for 10,000m.

He will be joined by fellow Kenyans Daniel Kinyanjui, who ran 27:06 for 10km last month in Valencia, and Brian Kibor, a 27:31 performer.

Also joining the party are Ethiopian teenagers Yismaw Dillu and Kuma Girma. The former finished fourth in the U20 race at last year’s World Cross Country Championships and has a 27:08.85 PB for 10,000m, while debutant Girma, younger brother of former world indoor 3000m record-holder Lamecha Girma, is a 12:58 performer for 5km and is fresh from a commanding 7:31.78 3000m victory in Metz last Saturday.

France’s European steeplechase silver medalist Djilali Bedrani, Italy’s European half marathon silver medalist Pietro Riva, and Britain’s Andy Butchart are also in the field.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw is in the form of her life, as shown by her 14:33 PB over 5km last weekend, and will be aiming to improve on her 10km PB of 29:56.

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Compatriot Medina Eisa, the world U20 5000m champion, is making her 10km debut following on from setting a world U20 5km record of 14:23 at the end of last year.

Aynadis Mebratu, who clocked 30:09.05 over 10,000m last summer, and Wede Kefale, a 30:31 performer, are also in the field, as is Kenya’s Cinthia Chepngeno, who has a 30:08 PB.

After breaking the European 5km record last weekend with 14:39, European 10,000m silver medalist Diane Van Es of the Netherlands now sets her sights on the continental record for 10km. She’ll line up alongside in-form Slovenian Klara Lukan, who smashed her national record in Monaco with 14:45 last weekend.

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Additional reporting by World Athletics