World steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech will face fellow Kenyan Winny Chebet and Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye in the 1,500m at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe on January 31, the second stop on the World Athletics Indoor Tour.Chepkoech, the steeplechase world champion, has limited racing experience indoors, but she made an impression during her one indoor campaign to date.
She finished third in Karlsruhe in 2018 and went on to win in Dusseldorf and Glasgow, breaking the Kenyan record on both occasions with 4:04.21 and 4:02.21 respectively.
She ended the 2018 indoor season by winning the women’s 1500m during the World Indoor Tour same year.
Chepkoech has the fastest indoor PB of the 1500m entrants for Karlsruhe and lines up against two women with superior outdoor bests.
Kenya's Winnie Chebet, who finished two places ahead of Chepkoech at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, reduced her best to 3:58.20 in 2019 when finishing seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Embaye, meanwhile, earned world indoor silver back in 2014 at the age of 19 and clocked an outdoor 1,500m PB of 3:59.02 last year. The 25-year-old, who won in Karlsruhe in 2016, will be making her sixth appearance in the German city.
Elsewhere, John Langat leads a star-studded Kenyan field for the Houston full and half marathons slated for January 19.
Langat, who has a personal best of 2:08:39 in the full marathon will have Paul Maina (2:08:49) and Dominic Ondoro(2:08:51) for company in the race.
Hassan El Abbasi of Bahrain has the best time in the field with a personal best of 2:04:43 alongside Ethiopia's Kelkile Gezagehn (2:05:56)
In the women's category, Milliam Ebongon will be the sole representative in competitive field. She has a personal best time of 2:27:16 and will be up against Ethiopian trio of Degefa Eshetu (2:22:40), Askale Merechi (2:24:14) and Shuko Wote (2:24:28).
In the half marathon, Caroline Chepkoech starts favourite with a personal best of 1:05:07. Others in the field include Dorcas Tuitoek (1:06:33), Jepkorir Kipkoech (1:07:12), Monica Wanjuhi (1:07:29), Dorcas Kimeli (1:07:44) and Caroline Rotich(1:08:52).
Bernard Kipkorir will fly Kenya's flag in the men's half marathon alongside Abel Kipchumba, Shadrack Kimining Korir, Bethwel Yegon and James Ngandu.
