Top runners for World 10K race in Bangalore

The TCS World 10K Bangalore to be held here May 19 will have a super fast field of foreign athletes among the projected 23,000 runners, it was announced here Wednesday.

Leading the field at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium's start line will be the two newly crowned World Cross Country champions, Japhet Korir among men and double World Cross Country champion Emily Chebet on the women's side.

According to Jos Hermens of Global Sports Communication, who have put together the elite field, the other strong contenders in the women's race will be the defending champion Helah Kiprop of Kenya and the course record holder Yimer Wude Ayalew.

They will be up against Kenyans Pascalia Kipkoech, the second fastest girl over 10km in 2012, and Lucy Kabuu, who many insiders believe is the strongest among long distance female runners at this moment.

Also in the field will be the young Kenyan Valentine Kipketer who demolished the field while lowering the course record by two and a half minutes and winning the 2013 Mumbai Marathon.

The strong men's field includes 14 athletes who have run the 10 kms below 28.00 minutes on either track or road circuit and pose a strong challenge to the existing course record.

Leading the pack will be Korir who, besides having finished three times in the top five of various World Cross Country Championships, also won the 2013 Würzburg Residenzlauf 10km in Germany.

Korir will face competition from fellow-Kenyans Moses Masai, Daniel Salel, Silas Kipruto, Nicholas Kipkemboi and rising Ethiopian star Brihanu Legese, to name a few.

Posing a threat to the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes will be Ukranian Sergiy Lebid and Great Britain's Scott Overall, besides Ecuador's Byron Piedra.

The Open 10K Run and the 10K Challenge, which also includes the Nike College Face-off and the DHL Corporate Challenge, has received around 11,000 entries, while the Majja Run a whopping 11,500.

The Senior Citizens' Run will have around 1000 entries, while the event for the Champions With Disability will see 450 participants, a huge increase from 91 in the last edition, according to Dilip Jayram, CEO of Procam International, the promoters of the event.

Besides these races, the feature events of the day will be the World 10K for elite men and women and the Nation's Challenge.

The occasion was also used to announce the Get Active Expo from May 10 to 12, according to Dilip Jayaram, CEO, Procam Internationals, the promoters of the event. Nagraj ijari, VP and Global Head Hi-Tech and Professional Services Business Segment, Tata Consultancy Services, the sponsors, was also present at the Media briefing.