PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Clash of African runners to highlight Edinburgh Cross Country
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Four top African runners, including defending champion and Olympic silver medallist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, are among the elite runners expectected at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday.
Kipchoge will be hard pressed to defend his title against an opposition that includes three outstanding distance running champions from the 2008 Beijing Games.
They are fellow Kenyans Asbel Kiprop and Brimin Kipruto as well as Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.
Bekele denied Kipchoge the opportunity of adding an Olympic gold to his 2003 World Championships victory, when he decisively defeated him in the Bird's Nest stadium, having previously won the 10,000m crown six days earlier.
The last Olympic Games also saw Kiprop, originally second in the 1500m final, awarded the gold medal after Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was stripped of his victory, in the wake of a doping violation, while Kipruto lifted the 3000m Steeplechase title.
According to the sport's governing body, IAAF, all four will be familiar with the course in Edinburgh.
Bekele has won the long course race on three occasions while Kipchoge claimed a success over the eight kilometres distance at the inaugural meeting in 2005, before cruising to victory in the shorter and first ever international race 12 months ago.
The quartet will go head-to-head in what should be the highlight of the second stop of 2012 on this season's IAAF Permit Series of Cross Country meetings.
-0- PANA ADAP/SEG 5Jan2012
Kipchoge will be hard pressed to defend his title against an opposition that includes three outstanding distance running champions from the 2008 Beijing Games.
They are fellow Kenyans Asbel Kiprop and Brimin Kipruto as well as Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.
Bekele denied Kipchoge the opportunity of adding an Olympic gold to his 2003 World Championships victory, when he decisively defeated him in the Bird's Nest stadium, having previously won the 10,000m crown six days earlier.
The last Olympic Games also saw Kiprop, originally second in the 1500m final, awarded the gold medal after Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was stripped of his victory, in the wake of a doping violation, while Kipruto lifted the 3000m Steeplechase title.
According to the sport's governing body, IAAF, all four will be familiar with the course in Edinburgh.
Bekele has won the long course race on three occasions while Kipchoge claimed a success over the eight kilometres distance at the inaugural meeting in 2005, before cruising to victory in the shorter and first ever international race 12 months ago.
The quartet will go head-to-head in what should be the highlight of the second stop of 2012 on this season's IAAF Permit Series of Cross Country meetings.
-0- PANA ADAP/SEG 5Jan2012
