17 OCT 2012 Preview

Reigning champions to return to defend titles - PREVIEW - IAU 50km World Trophy Final

VallecrosiaBordighera, ItalyThe 9th IAU 50km World Trophy Final will take place on 20 October 2012 in Vallecrosia-Bordighera, with last year’s winners Kenyan Eliot Kiplagat Biwott and Britain’s Emma Gooderham (GBR) returning to defend their titles.

Vallecrosia-Bordighera is in north western Italy, a beautiful tourist town about 50 kilometres from Nice, France.

The 50km World Trophy, following a series of nineteen races around the world, culminates with the Final with qualification based on athlete performances and times achieved in the series. Men who had a qualification time of 3:20 and women had 3:50 to be invited to Vallecrosia-Bordighera.

In the men’s field, Biwott (KEN) is returning with a time of 2:54:53 while former champion Colleen Makaza (ZIM) is the top qualifier with 2:48:37. Paul Martelletti (NZL) is the next fastest qualifier in the field having run 2:50:11.

In the women’s field, the winner in Assen, Gooderham has a qualification time of 3:17:30. Chiyuki Mochizuki (JPN) and the bronze medallist from Assen, Joanna Zakrzewski (GBR) are the next two fastest qualifiers with times of 3:25:43 and 3:26:37 respectively.

The Trophy Final takes place on a 6.25km flat looped course starting in Vallecrosia and turning around in Bordighera. It runs on the edge of the waterfront. This loop will be managed by the athletes eight times to get the required 50 kilometres. The race starts at 10am (GMT+2).

Nadeem Khan (IAU) for the IAAF

ENTRY LIST - Top Men:
Collen Makaza ZIM 2:48:37
Paul Martelletti NZL 2:50:11
Eliot Kiplagat Biwott KEN 2:54:53
Joseph Gray USA 2:56:43
Adrian Marriott GBR 3:00:47

ENTRY LIST - Top Women:
Emma Gooderham GBR 3:17:30
Chiyuki Mochizuki JPN 3:25:43
Joanna Zakrzewski GBR 3:26:37
Shanna Aisles Istnick USA 3:36:50
Jessica Kennedy USA 3:39:38