Defar to ‘try out’ 10km in Puerto Rico

 Olympic 5000m champion and World record holder Meseret Defar hopes to continue her impressive season when she takes part in the 10th World’s Best 10km road race in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday 25 February 2007.

The 23-year-old, who smashed Russian Yuliya Shobukhova’s World indoor 3000m record when clocking 8:23.72* in Stuttgart, Germany, two weeks ago, will compete over the 10km distance for the first time outside Ethiopia, but has lots of experience running on the road.

In a bumper 2006 season, Defar ran World bests over the 3km and 5km in Newcastle, England, and Carlsbad, USA respectively, and is adamant that the step-up to the longer distance will not have an adverse effect on the rest of her 2007 season.

“I have a lot of recovery time before the track season begins,” she said from her training base in Addis Ababa. “I want to challenge myself over a new distance and I have been doing some sessions in the last week to help me adapt to the longer distance.”

Defar is expected to line up against some of the world’s seasoned road runners including defending champion and World 20km record holder Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands, and two-time ING New York Marathon runner-up Susan Chepkemei among others. 

But the two-time World indoor 3000m champion is adamant that the strength of her challenge does not frighten her. “I am afraid of no one,” she said. “I respect the other runners and I think it will be a tough race. I just wanted to try out this new distance and see whether how well I can run. I have no World record ambitions. I hope to ran fast, but my first objective is victory.”

Asked whether her latest endeavour is an early indication of her possibly aiming at the 10,000m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan, Defar said, “I cannot say anything at this point,” she says. “I want to focus on the race in Puerto Rico and then map out the rest of my season.”

Elshadai Negash for the IAAF

*Subject to ratification