Lille 10km Road race champion Grace Loibach will flex muscles with 2022 World 3,000m indoor champion Lemlem Hailu of Ethiopia at the tRUNsylvania 10km run on September 22.
Race organisers expect record-breaking performances, owing to the elite list of athletes assembled. “We’ve designed a fast, three-lap course that will not only produce blistering times but also give fans an up-close experience with world-class runners. With the talent we've assembled, we expect performances that could shake up the world's all-time list,” said race director, Daniel Santa.
Loibach brings with her illustrious credential that includes the Lille 10k victory on March 17, where she clocked 30:27. She also won the Boilermaker 15km Road race on July 14 with a time of 49:18 as well as the Bolderboulder 10km (32:46) on May 27.
The 20-year-old placed second in the 10,000m at the FBK Games in Hengelo, clocking 29:47.42 behind Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan (29:37.80). She was ninth in the 10,000m during last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a time of 31:38.17.
At the Kenyan 10,000m Olympic trials in Eugene, she finished in position 11 with a time of 30:34.86. Hailu, on the other hand, has a bronze medal from the 2019 African Games in the 1,500m with a time of 4:20.60.
She is the 2017 World U18 1,500m champion (4:20.80) as well as the 2018 African Youth Games 1,500m champion.
Loibach will be joined by 2023 African 10,000m champion Janeth Chepngetich, Malaga Half Marathon champion Loice Chemnung and Durban 10km Road race champion Christine Njoki.
Also part of the Kenyan contingent are Nelvin Jepkemboi, Riga Half Marathon champion Judy Kemboi and Cali 10km Road Race champion Gladys Kwamboka.
Asmarech Anley, the Leicester 5km Road race champion and Berlin Half Marathon Champion Tekle Muluat will join Hailu to give Kenya’s fierce competition.
Also in the fold is 2012 World Junior 3,000m steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan, Hungarian Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth and 2012 World U20 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Stella Rutto of Romania.
