23,000 to run in TCS World 10K

Bangalore - It’s a full house at the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2013 which is taking place on May 19, 2013 and the event has also attracted a super fast field of foreign athletes, who will be aiming to set new course records for men and women. This was announced by Dilip Jayram, CEO of Procam International, the promoters of the event, along with Nagraj Ijari, VP and Global Head Hi-Tech and Professional Services Business Segment, Tata Consultancy Services, the title sponsor.The TCS World 10K on May 19 will see total participation from around 23,000 people, which has prompted the promoters to shut registrations.

The Open 10K Run and the 10K Challenge, which also includes the Nike College Face-off and the DHL Corporate Challenge, has received around 11,000 entries, the Majja Run has topped it receiving 11,500 entries. The Senior Citizens’ Run will have around 1000, while the event for the Champions With Disability will see 450 participants, a huge increase from 91 in the last edition. Besides these races, the feature events of the day will be the World 10K for elite men & women and the Nation’s Challenge.

Super-fast field of elite athletes: A highly competitive field of elite athletes has been put together for the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2013 by Global Sports Communication (GSC), the event’s elite athlete coordinators with an aim at lowering the existing course records. The men’s record stands at 27.51 minutes, set by Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese in 2008, while the women’s mark stands at 31.58, set by Ethiopian Yimer Wude in 2010. An added incentive of USD 7500 is up for grabs for the new course record.

Leading the field at the Kanteerava Stadium’s start line on Sunday, May 19 will be the two newly crowned World Cross Country Champions, Japhet Korir among men and double World Cross Country Champion Emily Chebet on the women’s side.

According to Jos Hermens of GSC, besides Emily, the other strong contenders in the women’s race will be the defending champion Helah Kiprop of Kenya and the course record holder Yimer Wude Ayalew. However, they can expect to be given a run for their money by Kenyans Pascalia Kipkoech, the 2nd fastest woman over 10km in 2012, and Lucy Kabuu, who many insiders believe is the strongest lady in long distance running at this moment. Also in the field will be the young Kenyan Valentine Kipketer, who demolished the field while lowering the course record by two and a half minutes when she won the 2013 Mumbai Marathon

The strong men’s field includes 14 athletes who have run the 10 km below 28.00 on either track or road and poses a strong challenge to the existing course record.

Leading the pack will be current World Cross Country champion Japhet Korir who, besides having finished three times in the top five of various World Cross Championships, also won the 2013 Würzburg Residenzlauf 10km in Germany. Japhet will face competition from fellow Kenyans Moses Masai, Daniel Salel, Silas Kipruto, Nicholas Kipkemboi and rising Ethiopian star Brihanu Legese, to name a few. Posing a threat to the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes will be Ukranian Sergiy Lebid and Great Britain’s Scott Overall, besides Ecuador’s Byron Piedra.The occasion was also used to announce the Get Active Expo, which will be held at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium from May 10 to 12, 2013. The Expo will be on between 11.00 am to 7.00 pm on all the three days and will also be the venue for all confirmed participants from Bengaluru and its suburbs to come and collect their running numbers along with the goodie bags.