Karoki, Aprot in hot pursuit of honours in Europe

World Cross and World Half silver medallist, Bedan Karoki Muchiri and African women 10000m champion, Alice Aprot are among the cream of Kenyan distance running talent out for honours in international IAAF Silver Label road races on Sunday.

Karoki who has struggled with injury this season and failed to hit the heights in the men 10000m race at the Rio 2016 Olympics leads an imposing field as he bids to defend his Copenhagen Half Marathon title where he breezed to a storming 59:14 victory in the first edition of the event.

Since taking the honours last year, Karoki has gone on to take silver at the IAAF World Half Marathon championships where he clocked 59:36 in Cardiff, win the World’s Best 10K in San Juan in 27:42, until last weekend the fastest time in the world this year, and finish seventh in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

He will face 13 other men who have dipped under one hour.

“I am in better shape now,” Karoki told the IAAF as he called for a fast race.

Compatriot James Ndirangu Mwangi who ran the number three time of 2016 in his outstanding 59:12 debut, Yigrem Demelash (59:49) of Ethiopia who was fourth over the 10000m in Rio and Bahrain’s Abraham Cheroben (58:48, PB) are among those to watch.

In the corresponding women’s race, Gladys Chesire, a sixth finisher at the Cardiff World Half who notched a 66:57 lifetime best at the prestigious Ras Al Khaimah Half comes in as the fastest competitor.

-Aprot favourite-

Aprot, 22, a fourth finisher in the women 10000m race at Rio 2016 comes to the Dam to Damloop 10K road race in Netherlands as the runaway favourite.

The African titleholder made a strong impression at the Olympics where she stormed to her 29:53.51 lifetime best after leading the competition through half way at a staggering 14:47 to set the stage for Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana to break the world record.

Ethiopia’s veteran, Meselech Melkamu will be the strongest challenger to the runner with a 31:02 PB at the distance.

Edwin Kiptoo, 23, is seeking to go out faster than his winning margin of last year when he stunned the men’s field for victory.

“Last year I didn’t expect to win here. This year I’m better prepared and I really want to defend my title. Not only in the men’s race, but I will hunt for the women again like I did in 2015,” Kiptoo, a ninth finisher at the Cardiff World Half told the IAAF.

-Report compiled from iaaf.org