The tRUNsylvania 10K at the Brasov Running Festival 2024 saw victories for the Kenyan duo of Daniel Kinyanjui and Loice Chemnung on Sunday.
Course records didn’t fall on this occasion at the World Athletics Elite Lable Race, Romania’s premier road race, but both contests were still thrilling affairs, with Kinyanjui and Chemnung prevailing after sprint finishes in 27:08 and 30:13 respectively.
The 19-year-old Kinyanjui, with just a handful of track credentials to his name, showed what a talent he is in his debut at the distance by pulling away from Morocco’s Hicham Amghar and the tRUNsylvania 10K defending champion Weldon Langat, also from Kenya, with about 1500 metres to go.
His surge from a long way out proved to be decisive and he maintained his form in the closing stages of the race to upset the odds, despite Kinyanjui’s two challengers closing with the line approaching.
“This has to be the best day of my life,” said the delighted Kinyanjui. “My training had been going well in Kenya and I had some good times over 10km in training, but I still didn’t know what to expect as this was my first race in Europe.”
“However, I knew I wanted to run faster than I had done in training. The pace at 5km (13:38, which meant improving on the 2022 course record of 26:51 by Kenya’s Nicolas Kipkorir was starting to look unlikely) was the pace I wanted, and I felt very comfortable. I think I would have even been happy if the pace had been 13:20.
“I was still feeling great at the start of the third [of three] lap. I did a little move at 7km as the group was quite big but at 8km I decided to go again because I wasn’t sure my kick was as strong as the others, and I decided to be brave at the front,” he added.
Kinyanjui’s bravery paid off and he ended the morning US $5000 richer, the first prize in the tRUNsylvania 10K.
Behind Kinyanjui, Amghar also ran the race of his life and produced a Moroccan record of 27:09, just outkicking Langat who was given the same time.
SA Record for Chaumeton
No less than nine men in the top 10 ran personal best times, all finishing inside 27:40; and there was a South African record for Maxime Chaumeton who ran 27:36 in ninth place.
A slow first half of the women’s race, with 5km passed in 15:19 meant an anticipated sub-30 finish disappeared from view.
However, passing the halfway point was the cue for Janeth Chepngetich to make her move and try to break away from the leading group of 12 women.
Her change of pace had the affect of splintering the pack. Seven women were still together at the start of the third lap but only the eventual winner Chemnung went with Chepngetich when the latter surged again with three kilometres to go.
Chepngetich, the 2024 All-Africa Games 10,000m champion who just missed out on Olympic selection when she finished fourth in the Kenyan 5000m trial for Paris, continued to force the pace for much of the next two kilometres but with about 300 metres to go Chemnung went through the gears and her compatriot had no response.
Behind Chemnung, who crossed the line in 30:13, Chepngetich was six seconds in arrears in 30:19 while Judy Kemboi finished third in a personal best of 30:29 to complete an all-Kenyan podium.
No less than 10 women went under 31 minutes with six of them getting personal bests.
Leading results – tRUNsylvania 10K:
MEN
- Daniel Kinyanjui (KEN) – 27:08 PB
- Hicham Amghar (MAR) – 27:09 NR
- Weldon Langat (KEN) – 27:09
- Daniel Kimaiyo (KEN) – 27:15 PB
- Patrick Moisin (KEN) – 27:20 PB
- Benard Langat (KEN) – 27:24 PB
- Abraham Kipyatich (KEN) – 27:29 PB
- Victor Mutai (KEN) – 27:30 PB
- Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) – 27:36 NR
- Amos Langat (KEN) – 27:38 PB
WOMEN
- Loice Chemnung (KEN) – 30:13
- Janeth Chepngetich (KEN) – 30:19
- Judy Kemboi (KEN) – 30:29 PB
- Grace Loibach Nawowuna (KEN) – 30:33
- Nelvin Jepkemboi (KEN) – 30:34 PB
- Christine Njoki (KEN) – 30:36 PB
- Yenawa Nbret (ETH) – 30:38 PB
- Senayet Getachew (ETH) – 30:38
- Christine Chesiro (KEN) – 30:47 PB
- Gladys Kwamboka (KEN) – 30:59 PB
See the Full results for all the Brasov Running Festival races, including the tRUNsylvania 10K and European Road Mile held on Saturday.
Meet The Authors
Yomog Meje is a former Nigerian junior athlete and the Associate editor at Athletics Africa.
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