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TODAY
✳ M 5,000m final 10.13pm
✳ W 1,000m final 10.39pm
Joshua Cheptegei -5000m
Stephen Kissa (pacer) – 5000m
Halimah Nakaayi – 1000m
Winnie Nanyondo – 1000m
Monaco, Principality of Monaco | THE INDEPENDENT | There will be three pace setters in Joshua Cheptegei’s attempt to break the 5000m World Record at the Stade Louis II track in Monaco tonight.
Dutchman Roy Hoornweg, who paced Cheptegei during his road world records at 10k and 15k, has been assigned the first kilometre in 2:31-2:32, before Cheptegie’s training partner Stephen Kissa sees the race through 2km with an aim of being within a time of 7:35.00 by the 3000m mark. Another middle distance ace Matthew Ramsden takes charge past the halfway mark of the 12.5 lap race.
When Keninisa Bekele broke the 5000m record in 2004, he was timed at 7:37.34 at the 3000m mark, pushed it to 10:07.93 at the 4000m mark, reached the bell lap in 11:39.5, a second adrift the world record pace but raced to shade off two seconds in a time 12:37.35.
Joshua’s manager Jurrie van der Velden says his athlete is set for the challenge, but admits, “ It’s not easy to get the best out of yourself if all you’ve been doing is training for six months. ”
“But the training went really well and that of course gives a lot of motivation and also confirmation that he is on the right track. The 12.51, which he ran on the road without pace setters in February, was also a confirmation that he really should be able to go two steps faster,” said Jurrie van der Velden in an interview recently.
Cheptegei’s a three-time world champion (10,000 meters juniors, 10,000 meters seniors and cross seniors) and is the world record holder in the 5km and the 15km.
By going for the 16-year record of 12:37.35 world record, he will be aiming to improve his personal best by 20 seconds. Cheptegei’s personal best time on the track is 12:57.41
Cheptegei in February broke the 5km road world record, by 27 seconds, without pace setters.
In another race, World 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi takes on British athletes Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon and American Raevyn Rogers in the 1,000m.
