Langat, Koros faceoff with Worku in Valencia

Olympian Weldon Langat, fresh from finishing fourth at the Kip Keino Classic is set to face fast-rising distance runner Tadese Worku in the 10km Valencia Ibercaja 2021 set for 3 October in Paseo de last Alameda, Spain.

In the absence of defending champion and world record holder Rhonex Kipruto, Langat will be joined in the race by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) 10,000m champion Collins Koros with Ronald Kirui the other Kenyan lining up for the race. 

A World Athletics gold label, the race is run through the streets of the city of Turia. In January 2020 as the race was celebrating its 12th edition, Kipruto ran 26:24 minutes to set a new 10km record. 

Worku heads to the race as the favourite as he is the only sub 27 minutes runner on the field. Langat's personal best time of 27:24.73 puts him in second place on the paper with Koros third on the list with his PB of 27:25.46. 

The 19-year-old Worku, the reigning World Under-20 3000m champion gave Kipruto a ran for his money at the Adizero 'Road to Records' race organised by Adidas at their headquarters on 12 September to clock 26:56 for second place behind the world record holder who timed 26:43. 

Langat finished seventh in 27:40 behind Koros who was sixth in 27:27. "Worku is a good athlete. He pushed Kipruto to the end and I picked a few lessons from that Adidas race which I will be looking to use in Valencia," expressed Koros ahead of the race. 

Worku made his major championships debut at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark as a 17-year-old. 

He ran 7:43.24 for 3000m and 13:18.17 for 5000m. Worku has since improved that to 7:34.75 for the 3000m as well as 26:58.30 for 10,000m, a time which saw him finish fifth at the Ethiopian Olympic trials in Hengelo in June to miss out on his Olympic dream.