Kenya's Shadrack Koech and Africa U18 3000m champion Emmanuel Kiplagat face an uphill task in their quest to end the year on a high at the 57th San Silvestre Vallecana, a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race set for Friday,December 31.
Koech holds a 27:21 10km lifetime best set in 2019 at the Birell Prague Grand Prix, Prague on November 7. On his part, 19-year old Kiplagat, holds a 28:28.02 personal best in the 10,000m set during the Athletics Kenya Olympics Pre-Trials at Nyayo National Stadium in May this year where he finished third.
The race, perhaps the most prestigious of the many New Year's Eve races around the world, will return to its usual circuit after a change last year due to the pandemic.
The Kenyan duo have their work cut out as they face among others, favourite, the in-form Burundian Rodrigue Kwizera.
Kwizera is enjoying a fantastic cross country season on Spanish soil, having taken victories at several prestigious events such as Soria, San Sebastian, Atapuerca, Italica and Venta de Banos.
While the race record of 26:41 set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2018 seems unreachable, Kwizera has been tipped to run well under the 28-minute barrier for the first time in his career.
As for the women’s race which starts alongside the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium of Real Madrid and finishes on the pitch of another Spanish first division club, Rayo Vallecano, in the Madrid suburbs – has Kenya’s distance ace Hellen Obiri as the athlete to beat.
The two-time world 5000m champion and Olympic silver medallist finished second in Madrid in 2018 after a thrilling battle with her fellow Kenyan and current world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei.
Obiri’s outstanding 29:59 time then proved not enough to take the victory, but the 32-year-old will be eager to claim victory in Madrid for the first time on her opening appearance this winter.
Obiri will face tough opposition provided by Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw, 10 years her junior. Azimeraw is an accomplished road specialist, having recorded the second quickest ever marathon debut when she won in Amsterdam in 2:19:26 in 2019 to also break the course record in the Dutch city.