Wilson Kiprop on his way to an unexpected win in Rovereto (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Wilson Kiprop from Kenya returns to Vallagarina near Rovereto on Sunday (18) looking for a second win in a row in one of the most prestigious Italian Cross Country races.
Kiprop took the honours last year as an unheralded 20-year-old athlete beating 3000m Steeplechase Olympic and World bronze medallist Richard Matelong.
Kiprop, who also holds a 62:50 PB in the Half-Marathon, will take on compatriot Thomas Longosiwa, who took part in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in Bejing. Longosiwa ran solid PBs in the 3000 metres (7:32.79 in Rieti) and in the 5000 metres (12:51.79 in Brussels) in 2007.
The men’s field also features Jamel Chatbi, who took part in last year’s World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh for Morocco finishing 31st plus Kenyans Erastus Chirchir (winner of the Valle delle Chiese Cross Country race in mid-November), Titus Masai and Ezekiel Meli.
Chatbi, third at the Cinque Mulini in 2007 and who ran a 3000m Steeplechase of 8:22.16, is well-known to Italian fans as he has lived in Northern Italy for many years and competes for an Italian club.
Italy will be represented by experienced Cross Country runner Gabriele De Nard (fourth at the European Cross Country Championships in Thun 2001) and Stefano Scaini, a former European junior Cross Country bronze medallist from 2001.
Holovchenko leads women’s field
Tatyana Holovchenko from the Ukraine, a European cross country champion in San Giorgio su Legnano 2006, starts as the favourite in the women’s race. Holovchenko will again face local favourite Federica Dal Ri who edged out the Ukrainian in a very close sprint for third place into the finish-line in the snowy Campaccio Cross Country race on 6 January.
The only Kenyan runner in the field will be Pasalia Chepkorir Kipkoech who won a World youth silver medal in the 3000m in Sherbrooke 2003 and ran a 71:15 PB in the Half-Marathon in Lisbon last year.
The women’s field is completed by Hungarian Brigitta Tusai (4:06:75 in the 1500m) and two local runners, Agnes Tscurtschenthaler (one of the best 3000m Steeplechase runners in Italy) and Renate Rungger, the Italian Cross Country champion in Villa Lagarina in 2007.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
