Two relatively unknown runners in their early 20's — Titus Mbieshei from Kenya and Ethiopia's Yimer Wude — snatched sensational victories in the men's and women's Elite 10K run in the third edition of the Sunfeast World 10K event here on Sunday.
If Titus hit the front from the four km mark to breast the tape just off the course record, in an impressive time of 00:27:54 seconds, the ‘little made' Yimer Wude, a track runner all her life, eased past last year's champion Aselefech Mergia to stop the clock at 00:31:58 seconds.
The weather was hot and it only got hotter with a relatively high humidity level. But it did not stop the classy men's field from setting the pace. Tadese Tola, from Ethiopia was an early leader but faded away from the lead bunch. Deriba Merga, the defending champion, stranded at Dubai airport before making a late arrival on Saturday night remained in the bunch for most part after hitting the front for a brief spell. But with the pace ‘hotting' up Merga could not sustain and slipped to the fourth spot.
Mbieshei, the lean Kenyan, improving with every stride both in confidence and composure hit the front around the halfway mark and then kept going widening the lead from the strong finisher Moses Kipsiro of Uganda on entering the stadium. He was just 03 seconds off the event record of 00:27:51 set by Zersenay Tadese of Eritria in 2008, the inaugural year.
Yimer Wude, running in the shadow of three previous winners — Grace Momanyi (Kenya) and Elvan Abeylegessie (Turkey) the two who finished in a ‘dead heat' in the inaugural edition and last year's champion Aselefech Mergia — waited till the very end before bursting to the tape with a splendid sprint, in a time of 00:31.58 seconds. With Aselefech not in the picture after the seven km mark and Grace Momanyi hitting the front after both Aberu Kebede and Elvan set the early pace, there did not seem to be any surprise this time. Grace was a couple of strides clear.
But both Aselefech and Wude stepped the pedal thereafter to break away and ran shoulder to shoulder into the stadium. Yimer then sprinted to the finish leaving the two former champions flagging behind.
Both the men's and women's Elite race winners pocketed $21,000.
Indian event
Pre-event favourites Sunil Kumar from Haryana Police and Karnataka's Preethi L Rao made the Indian Elite events for men and women their own though in contrasting fashion.
While Sunil was involved in a photo finish with Arvind Kumar Yadav (UP), both clocking 00:30:47 seconds, Preethi, recently married and off training, came in a poor time of 00:37:47 seconds, to win quite comfortably ahead of Kerala's M. Sudha and Kamlesh Baghel (UP).
Santosh third
Santosh Kumar, who is now married to Preethi, was third last year and came in third yet again. Both Sunil and Preethi were richer by Rs. 1,50,000 each while the runners-up earned Rs. 1,25,000.
The results: Elite 10K: Men: 1. Titus Mbieshei (Ken) 0027:54s, 2. Moses Kipsiro (Uga) 00:28:08s, 3. Feyisa Lelisa (Ken) 00:28:23s, 4. Deriba Merga (Eth) 00:28:32s.
Elite 10K Indian Men: 1. Sunil Kumar 00:30:47s, 2. Arvind Kumar Yadav 00:30:47s, 3. Santosh Kumar 00:30:50s; 4. Nandaraj Singh 00:30:52s.
Elite 10K Women: 1. Yimer Wude (Eth) 00:31:58s, 2. Aselefech Mergia (Eth) 00: 32:00s, 3. Grace Momanyi (Ken) 00:32:05s, 4. Koren Yal (Eth) 00:32:17s.
Elite 10K Indian Women: 1. L. Preethi Rao 00:37:47s, 2. M. Sudha 00:39:25s, 3. Kamlesh Baghel 00:39:43s, 4. Anujja Bijagre 00:39:50s.
