Rhonex Kipruto, the Kenyan runner who currently holds the 10km world record, is facing a serious challenge. He set the record in 2020 at the 10k Valencia Ibercaja road race, crossing the finishing line in a remarkable time of 26.24. Now, on Sunday, January 14, at the 2024 Valencia Ibercaja road race, several star athletes are set to compete and attempt to break Kipruto’s record. Among them are Jacob Kiplimo, the reigning half marathon world record holder from Uganda, Dominic Lobalu from South Sudan, Richard Douma from the Netherlands, and Pietro Riva from Italy.

In addition to the men’s race, the women’s world record is also under threat. The current record is held by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who broke it at the 2022 Castellón 10K race with a time of 29:14, surpassing the previous record set by Kalkidan Gezahegne. Agnes Jebet Ngetich, a rising Kenyan star, is leading the charge to break Yehualaw’s record. Unfortunately, Yehualaw herself was unable to compete this year due to a last-minute injury. Joyciline Jepkosgei and the late Agnes Tirop, both from Kenya, have also held the women’s world record in the past.

Jessica Chelangat of Kenya was scheduled to compete in the race alongside Ngetich, but she will not be participating due to illness. Nonetheless, Ngetich is determined to make a strong challenge after narrowly missing the world record in 2023 when she recorded a time of 29:26 in a race held in Lille, France.

The 2024 Valencia Ibercaja road race is shaping up to be an exciting event, with both the men’s and women’s world records at stake. The star athletes competing are aiming to push the boundaries and break these records, adding more excitement to the world of road racing.