Kipsang out of World Road Running Championships team

World indoor 1,500metres bronze medallist Abel Kipsang will miss the World Athletics Road Running Championships scheduled for September 30 to October 1, in Riga, Latvia.

Kipsang was not in Team Kenya’s final entry list released by the World Athletics on Wednesday, but Athletics Kenya (AK) director of competition Paul Mutwii said his absence won’t affect the team.

Mutwii said Kipsang, who finished fourth during the 1,500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, requested to be exempted when final entries were made in the Men’s Road Mile race.

AK had named Kipsang alongside world under-20 1,500m champion Reynold Kipkorir and national 1,500m champion Kyumbe Munguti in the Men’s Road Mile race where countries have been allowed three entries but, two to score.

“There is no worry since we have a full team of two athletes hence Kipkorir and Munguti will deliver,” said Mutwii.

Kipkorir and Munguti will face among others USA’s Sam Prakel, who is in line to become the first official world record-holder for the men’s road mile (3:55.00), his compatriot Hobbs Kessler and Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi.

World 1,500m and 5,000m champion Faith Kipyegon will make her road race debut, having set a One Mile record (4:07.64) on track.

Kipyegon, the Olympic 1,500m champion, who also holds three world records in One Mile, 1,500m and 5,000m,  will partner with 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who is fresh from setting the 2,000m steeplechase world record.

Also in the team is Nelly Chepchirchir.

But the Kenyans won’t have it all her own way, with Ethiopia’s world 1,500m silver medallist Diribe Welteji also in the field, as well as her compatriot Freweyni Hailu and Australia’s Jess Hull, both ranked in the top eight all-time in the mile on the track.

The world 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka, Commonwealth 5,000m silver medallist Nicholas Kimeli and Cornelius Kemboi will compete in the 5km Road race.

The Kenyans will come up against Ethiopia’s world record-holder Berihu Aregawi and compatriot Yomif Kejelcha. Aregawi set his record of 12:49 in Barcelona on the final day of 2021.

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will lead Kenya’s women’s team in the half marathon.

Jepchirchir, who set the women-only world half marathon record of 1:05:16 when winning gold at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, will partner with 2023 world leader Irine Kimais, Margaret Chelimo, Catherine Reline and Janeth Chepng’etich.

The Kenyans will face off with world cross country silver medallist Tsigie Gebreselama from Ethiopia, Germany’s European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen and USA’s Sara Hall.

World 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu, Hamburg Half Marathon champion Samwel Nyamai and Bernard Kibet will compete in the men's half marathon.

Also in the half marathon team are 2023 Berlin Half Marathon champion Sabastian Sawe and 2023 Barcelona Half Marathon champion Charles Langat.