Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot, 32, returned from maternity leave last season to win the 10,000m in the Chinese capital while Ayana, 24, is the Ethiopian record holder in the 3,000m having run 8:22.20 last season before winning over 5000m in Beijing.
“With these two world champions meeting in the same race, we have again shown our commitment to bringing the best of middle and long distance racing to Doha,” said Qatar Athletics Federation President Dahlan Al Hamad.
“Two years ago, Doha hosted one of the best women’s 3,000m races in history. I am very excited to see if we will witness a re-run of that this year as we prepare to kick-off the Diamond League series for the seventh time.”
The 2014 contest saw Kenyan Hellen Obiri leading eight runners under 8:30:00 en-route to her 8:20.68 African record. Finishing second in that race was another Kenyan, Mercy Cherono, who returns to Doha as the fastest woman in the field, courtesy of her 8:21.14 run behind Obiri in the thrilling 2014 contest.
The quality field also includes Ethiopian pair Senbere Teferi and Gelete Burka, the 2015 world championships silver medallists in the 5000m and 10,000m respectively. Kenya’s Viola Kibiwot will also be on the start line. The field in the men’s 3000m steeplechase is led by Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya and his young compatriot, Jairus Birech, who won his second successive Diamond Race in 2015. Kemboi, who triumphed at the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games, captured his fourth straight world title last year. The 33-year-old will be aiming for his fourth win in Doha after victories in 2009, 2010 and 2014.
Birech meanwhile is a rising force who took the event by storm in 2014 when he won the African and Continental Cup titles and had victories at six out of seven IAAF Diamond League meetings. Brimin Kipruto, the 2008 Olympic and 2015 world bronze medallist and African record holder, also returns to Doha looking for his first win in the Qatari capital. Kipruto famously clocked 7:53.64 in Monaco in 2011, missing Saif Saaeed Shaheen’s world record by just 0.01.
Also in the field is his namesake Conseslus Kipruto, a former world youth and world junior champion who has collected silver medals at the last two World Championships.