Defending champion Azimeraw faces Kiplagat challenge

Defending champion Degitu Azimeraw will be seen in action against Kenya's two-time world champion Florence Kiplagat in the women's event of the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K run on December 16.

Last year, the 18-year-old Ethiopian Azimeraw surprised everyone by taking the top honours in a TSK25K course record of 1:26.01 in her first international race.

Azimeraw has shown this year that her win here was no fluke with three excellent half marathon performances, including improving her personal best to 1:06:47 at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February and later winning the Gifu Half Marathon in Japan.

Azimeraw will have a tough challenge at the start line with Kiplagat figuring in the elite field.

A former half marathon world record holder, Kiplagat had won a gold at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships besides emerging victorious in Delhi Half Marathon twice.

Kiplagat, now 31, will come to Kolkata with a burning desire to do well as an injury had forced her to pull out of the meet last year.

In fact, Kiplagat did not race for a year until she finished fourth at this year's Chicago Marathon last month.

The men's field will miss Ethiopian distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele who set a course record of 1:13:48 last year.

In Bekele's absence, compatriot Birhanu Legese, a two-time winner in Delhi will lead the field.

Legese will face Kenya's Eric Kiptanui, who can boast of being the third-fastest half marathon runner of 2018 after his 58:42 run in Berlin earlier in the year.

The men's field also has Tanzanian marathon record holder Augustino Sulle who was third in the TSK25K in 2017.

"After successful events in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi during 2018, it is Kolkata's turn to take to the world stage," Vivek Singh, Joint Managing Director of Procam International, said.

International Elite field:
Women: Degitu Azimeraw (ETH), Florence Kiplagat (KEN)