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Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw, Jemal Yimer, and Hagos Gebrhiwet were among the winners at the Paris Festival of Running ASICS Speed Race in 5km and 10km.

This competition took place on an iconic 2.5km loop that started and finished at the Palais-Royal in the shadow of the Louvre.

Ethiopia’s Amebaw and Kenya’s Loice Chemnung both dipped under 30 minutes in the women’s 10km, with the former clocking a personal best of 29:56 to win and Chemnung finishing just one second behind her.

Amebaw and Chemnung were joined by Kenya’s Miriam Chebet during the first half of the race, but Chebet was unable to maintain the pace and finally came in third in 30:41.

Nadia Battocletti improved her own Italian record to 31:19 and finished fourth.

“It was a very amazing race. It was a fast race; I ran under 30 minutes, so I liked it.

“I have got to work hard, and I hope I will be at the Olympic Games. Now I will get ready for track competition,” Amebaw, who was recently confirmed as joint runner-up in the 2023–2024 World Athletics Cross Country Tour, said, as quoted by World Athletics.

Meanwhile, the men’s race was won by Yimer, who matched his 10km best, running 27:43 to win the men’s race, also by one second. His good show comes less than three weeks after his Seoul Marathon win in a personal best of 2:06:08.

The second and third places were claimed by Kenya, as Hillary Kipkoech was runner-up in 27:44 and Vincent Kibet was third in 27:48.

Ethiopia’s multiple world and Olympic 5000m medallist Gebrhiwet was racing a couple of weeks out from his African Games 5000m victory, which followed a 5km win in the rain at the Podium Festival in Leicester, UK.

In Paris, he won the men’s 5km in 13:24, ahead of Mohamed Ismael (13:32) and Adel Mechaal (13:34).

Caroline Nyaga from Kenya, who also raced in Leicester, where she finished second, this time topped the women’s 5km as she secured a dominant win in 14:40.

Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek and Belinda Chemutai ran 15:03 and 15:05, respectively.