Haji, Chebet Lead World-Class Elite Athletes To Okpekpe Race

Ethiopia’s Yasin Haji and Kenya’s Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei will lead a world-class elite athletes to the eighth Okpekpe International 10km Road Race scheduled to hold on Saturday 28th May in Okpekpe, Edo State.
This year, Haji is the ninth fastest man over the 10km race courtesy the 27:00 seconds he ran twice in March and April to place second and sixth respectively at the de Lille in Lille, France and AdiZero Road to Records in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
He will be challenged for the $20,000 prize money by notable athletes who have also broken 28 seconds in their career including his compatriots Vedic Kipkoech (27.26 personal best);Kiprono Sitonik ( 27.35 personal best); Emmanuel Kiplagat (27.50 personal best) and Josphat Kipchirchir (27.53 personal best).
In the women’s category, Kenya’s Tuei will be the athlete to beat with her personal best of 30:45 ran last October at the 10Km Valencia Ibercaja in Valencia, Spain.
Tuei will be hotly challenged for the $20,000 prize money by compatriot and former World U-18 (2017) and African Youth Championships (2018) 3000m champion, Abersh Minsewo who holds a personal best of 30:58 achieved last November in Lille.
Also in with a chance is another Ethiopian, Addisie Mislenew who ran 31.49 personal best last July in Lens, France.
Race Director Zack Amodu is confident a new course record will be set come 28th May in Okpekpe.
“The quality of elite runners for this year’s race is the best so far and this is easy to understand,” he said.” The new elite road race requirements in place since last November, make it mandatory for a World Athletics Elite label race to have at least five athletes per gender who have recorded at least the 28:27 standard set for men and 33:07 set for women.”
“The standards set are way above the course record of 28:35 set for the men by Ethiopia’s Teshome Mekonen and 32.41 set by another Ethiopian, Wude Ayalew at the second edition of the race in 2014,”Amodu noted.