ROME, Italy, Oct 31 – Kenyans James Kibet, Joel Maina Mwangi, Paul Tiongik and James Mburugu are the top names at the 12th edition of the Corsa dei Santi in Rome, an IAAF Bronze Label 10 km road race scheduled for Friday.

Kibet clocked his PB of 13:11.87 in the 5000m on the track at Berlin’s ISTAF meeting in 2017 and won the Campaccio IAAF Cross Country Permit race in January 2018.

He also holds solid career best times over different distances including 7:43.13 in the 3000m and 28:23.31 in the 10,000m.

Tiongik won the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Venaria Reale near Turin last March and finished fourth at the Stramilano Half Marathon in 1:02:07. Last October he clocked his half marathon PB of 1:01:46 in Zagreb.

Mburugu clocked two 1:02 half marathon races this year with 1:01:37 in Jesolo and 1:01:35 in Cremona.

The top Italian name is Giuseppe Gerratana, the European Under 23 silver medallist in the 3000m steeplechase in 2013.

Clementine Mukandanga will be bidding to win the Corsa dei Santi 10 km women’s race for the second consecutive year. The Rwandan clocked a PB of 2:30:59 at the Florence Marathon in 2018 and finished sixth at the All-African Games in 2015 in the 10,000m.

The Kenyan contingent is led by Ivyne Lagat and Lenah Jerotich.

Lagat finished eighth at the Stramilano Half Marathon last March and won the Aosta Half Marathon in 1:12:24 ahead of Mukandanga. Lagat clocked 1:11:23 in the 2016 Cardiff Half Marathon.

The top Italian name is Giovanna Epis, who recently set her half marathon PB of 1:11:44 in Valencia last week and dipped under 2:30 when she finished sixth in 2:29:11 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April.

No less than 7000 runners will take part at the Corsa dei Santi, which starts from Via della Conciliazione near St. Peters Square in Rome. Two-time world long jump world champion and Olympic silver medallist Fiona May will be among the special guests.

(Visited 5 times, 5 visits today)