• Cheptai is the race favourite in a personal best time of 30:35 she ran at this year's TCS World 10k in Bengaluru.
• Ethiopians Mekdes Woldu, Alemitu Tariku and debutant Enatnesh Tirusew will seek to upset the formbook.
Image: ERICK BARASA
World 10k record holder Rhonex Kipruto and Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist Irene Cheptai have confirmed their participation at the 2022 Birell 10k Prague Grand Pix competition slated for Saturday in the streets of Prague, Czech Republic.
Kipruto is the fastest man in the men's field with a personal best time of 26:24 which he ran in Valencia in 2020.
He is a former World Under-20 10,000m champion and the 2021 Valencia 10k champion.
Kipruto also placed fourth at this year's Adizero Road to Records Championships in a time of 26:58.
The men's field has attracted a number of other elite athletes including the Ethiopian trio of Tadese Worku, Mogos Tuemay, Tadese Takele and Moroccan Hicham Amghar.
Worku is a former World Under-20 3000m champion, a title he won in Nairobi's edition last year.
He is the second fastest in the field with a personal best time of 26:56. He placed second in 27:43 at the 2022 TCS World 10k Bengaluru competitions in May.
Tuemay is the Africa 10,000m champion, a title he won at the Africa Senior Athletics Champions in Mauritius.
He has a personal best time of 27:50 while Takele is also a force to reckon with going by his 27:21 lifetime best.
He is a former World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase silver medalist. Takele also placed third during the 10k Fasca Castello competitions in February.
Amghar has a personal best time of 27:46. Other Kenyans include Kennedy Kimutai (27:09), Bravin Kiptoo (27:12), debutant Alexander Munyao, Patrick Mosin (27:31), Isaac Too (28:41), debutant David Ngure, debutant Isaac Ndiema and Kelvin Kibiwott (28:01).
Cheptai is the race favourite in a personal best time of 30:35 she ran at this year's TCS World 10k in Bengaluru.
She was also part of the 2022 10k AJC Peach Tree Road Race in Atlanta. Kenya's Jesca Chelang'at and Faith Cherono will also be in the field with personal best times of 30:41 and 30:50 respectively.
Chelang'at ran at this year's Absa Run Your City 10k race in Cape town and placed second in 30:48.
Cherono placed fourth at the TCS World 10k competition in Bengaluru. Sheila Jebiwot has a personal best time of 34:24.
Other Kenyans who will be in the race will be debutants Vivian Jepkemei and Brenda Jepkoech.
Ethiopians Mekdes Woldu, Alemitu Tariku and debutant Enatnesh Tirusew will seek to upset the formbook.
Woldu has a personal best time of 31:25 which she ran during the 2022 Berlin Invitational 10k competitions.
Tariku has a personal best time of 32:04 which she ran during the 2022 TCS World 10k in Bengaluru.