TCS World 10K Bengaluru: Back on ‘home' stretch, Joshua Cheptegei the favourite
Bengaluru: Eleven years after he stunned the elite field as a rookie junior,
Joshua Cheptegei
returns to the
TCS World 10K Bengaluru
every inch a superstar. Even over a decade later, he remains the man to beat in the 17th edition of the race here on Sunday.
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After his sensational international debut which earned him a silver here in 2014,
Cheptegei
has gone on to conquer the world winning Olympic and world titles on the track. The Ugandan, who holds the world record in 5,000m and 10,000m, has shifted his focus and targets similar glory on the road. And the champion firmly believes that Bengaluru is the best place to re-launch the second part of his glittering career.
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It won't be a stroll for the 28-year-old though, even as he hopes to convert his 2014 silver to the top step on the podium, perhaps the event record of 27:38s on the back of his mind too.
'This is one of the races I look at as a stepping stone before my next marathon. I needed a target to keep my focus and that's why I'm here,' Cheptegei said on race eve.
The ace runner, with a PB of 26:11, was clear about the challenge that awaits him.
'I didn't have a good time to train because of my recovery after my marathon (Tokyo in March). It's going to be a tough race, but I want to leave Bengaluru with a win,' he said.
Kenyan Vincent Langat, PB 26:55, is top on the list of challengers expected to trouble the 10,000m Olympic champion. Like Cheptegei, Tanzanian Gabriel Geay also comes to Bengaluru after some superb performances in the marathons. The second-place winner at the 2023 Boston Marathon will also fancy his chances in the elite men's.
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Cintia the woman to beat
A day after her compatriot Agnes Ngetich became the first athlete to dip under the 30-minute mark in a women-only 10K race in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Kenya's
Cintia Chepngeno
would be inspired to gun for the event record of 30:35 set by Irene Cheptai at the TCS World 10K in 2022.
Eyes on Sanjivani and Kiran
Defending champion Sanjivani Jadhav will start the favourite among the Elite Indian women athletes.
In men's, Kiran Matre is expected to face a stiff challenge to keep his title from Sawan Barwal and Abhishek Pal.
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