Gidey leads foreign cast for Memorial Agnes Tirop Cross Country Tour
Ethiopian Gidey Letesnbet broke the half marathon world record at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 24, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Athletes from Eritrea, Ukraine and Spain arrived Thursday morning and more were expected to jet into the country later in the evening ready for the Gold Tour event
- Yemane Haileselassie, Eritrea’s national 3,000m steeplechase record holder (8:22.52), was among those to jet in for the senior men's 10km race
- One of the star-attraction in the women's 10km race, Tokyo Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist, Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia, has been training in the country for weeks in Kaptagat
- Yemane Haileselassie, Eritrea, Antonio Abadía, Spain, Ukraine, Vitaly Shafar, Yuliya Shmatenko, Victoria Kolchyk, Senbere Teferi, Ethiopia, Dolshi Tesfu, Hilal Yego, Hendrik Pfeiffer, Nic Ihlow, Germany, Alex George, UK, Letesenbet Gidey , Kennedy Tanui,
Excitement is gripping Eldoret, fondly known as the City of Champions, with the arrival of the foreign participants ahead of Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Gold Tour due Saturday.
Athletes from Eritrea, Ukraine and Spain arrived Thursday morning and more were expected to jet into the country later in the evening ready for the Gold Tour event planned for The Lobo Village, Kapseret.
Yemane Haileselassie, Eritrea’s national 3,000m steeplechase record holder (8:22.52), was among those to jet in for the senior men's 10km race.
Haileselassie took part in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, as well as the 2017 London and 2019 Doha World Championships. The 23-year-old won bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2016 World Under-20 Championships.
Also to arrive were the 2017 European Cup 10,000m champion Antonio Abadía from Spain and Ukrainian Vitaly Shafar, who will compete in the senior men's 10km race.
Abadia is the 2016 European 10,000m bronze medallist while Shafar finished fourth in the 2014 Boston Marathon and 10th at the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Ukrainian duo of former national 5,000m champion Yuliya Shmatenko and Victoria Kolchyk, also arrived to take a stab at senior women’s 10km. Shmatenko is the 2020 Balkan Championships 5,000m winner, having also claimed silver in 5,000m at the 2017 European Team Championships.
From left: Juana Julian, Antonio Abadia (Spain), Vitalty Shafar, Oksana Oliinychenko (Ukraine) arrive at Eldoret International Airport on February 10, 2022 on the eve of Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Gold Tour set for the Lobo Village in Eldoret on Saturday.
The 2015 World Cross Country Championships senior women’s silver medallist, Senbere Teferi, from Ethiopia and Eritrea’s Dolshi Tesfu, who will feature in senior women’s 10km were due in the country Thursday evening.
Others who were expected Thursday evening are Turkey 3,000m steeplechase champion Hilal Yego, Hendrik Pfeiffer and Nic Ihlow from Germany and Great Britain’s Alex George.
One of the star-attraction in the women's 10km race, Tokyo Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist, Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia, has been training in the country for weeks in Kaptagat.
Gidey holds world records in 5,000m (14:06.62), 10,000m (29:01.03) and Half marathon (1:02:52).
"We are glad to welcome these athletes for the event. We are ready for the big party," said the race's secretary Kennedy Tanui.
The Memorial Agnes Tirop Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour is one of the 20 events in the World Cross Country Tour that World Athletics introduced in October last year.
The tour has 20 events comprising 15 gold, two silver and three bronze.
The Lobo Village competition that is in honour of the late Agnes Tirop, is the 12th race in the Gold Tour.
Tirop was found murdered on October 13, last year at her home in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet and her estranged partner, Ibrahim Rotich is being held in connection with her death.
A combined amount of more than $400,000 (Sh40 m) in prize money is on offer for the best tour performers, including a new pool of $75,000 (Sh 7.5m) for the best male and female cross country runners.
