Paris 2024 Olympic medallist Ronald Kwemoi and defending champion Weldon Langat head an outstanding 2024 tRUNsylvania 10K men’s field on Sunday 22 September.
The tRUNsylvania 10K forms part of the fourth edition of the famous Brasov Running Festival, which will also feature the European Road Mile the previous day on 21 September.
Kwemoi, a former world U20 1500m record holder, took the Olympic 5000m silver medal in Paris just a few weeks ago and the Kenyan will look to translate that form to the roads in Brasov.
Like his compatriot Langat, they will be aiming to improve on the tRUNsylvania 10K course record of 26:51 set by another Kenyan, Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli, in 2022.
Langat finished second behind Kipkorir Kimeli in that race two years ago in what is still his personal best of 26:55.
By contrast, Kwemoi is a relative novice on the roads despite his accolades on the track.
He has only three previous road races to his name, all over 10km, and a more modest best over the distance of 27:16.
The tRUNsylvania 10K is a World Athletics Elite Label Race and the only road race of this status in Romania. It takes place over a super-fast three lap course in the modern Coresi district of Brasov.
In addition to Kwemoi and Langat, three other men have also run below 27:20 for 10km on the roads in the last two years: the Kenyan trio of Stanley Mburu, Laban Kiplimo and Bravin Kiprop.
The European challenge is led by Swiss marathon record holder Tadesse Abraham, who improved his mark over the classic distance to 2:05:01 when winning the Barcelona Marathon in March this year, and Norway’s former European marathon record holder Sondre Nordstad Moen.
The leading men’s runners are (with their 10km personal bests):
- Weldon Langat (KEN) – 26:55
- Laban Kiplimo (KEN) – 27:15
- Ronald Kwemoi (KEN) – 27:16
- Bravin Kiprop (KEN) – 27:16
- Stanley Mburu (KEN) – 27:18
- Hicham Amghar (MAR) – 27:24
- Daniel Kimaiyo (KEN) – debut (13:04.39 5000m)
- Patrick Moisin (KEN) – 27:26
- David Kimaiyo (KEN) – 27:26
- Abraham Kipyatich (KEN) – 27:38
- Bastien Augusto (FRA) – 27:40
- Richard Etir (KEN) – 27:47 (27:06.88 10,000m)
- Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR) – 27:55 (2:05:48 marathon)
- Hagos Eyob (ETH) – 28:33
- Tadesse Abraham (SUI) – 28:28 (2:05:01 marathon)
“As with previous years, we have brought together some outstanding runners for the tRUNsylvania 10K, including an Olympic medallist and our defending men’s champion. They will once again provide a thrilling men’s race and, hopefully, create headlines in the running world,” commented Race Director Daniel Santa.
The Brasov Running Festival 2024 takes place against the spectacular backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains and close to the centre of the historic and picturesque Transylvanian city which can date its origins back to the 13th century.
Both the tRUNsylvania 10K and European Road Mile will be streamed live via the Brasov Running Festival YouTube channel.
