Faith Kipyegon is set for a tough test during the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, as the world record holder will face high-profile rivals on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

Kipyegon will be making her debut in the road race in the Latvian capital, and among her rivals are Diribe Welteji and Freweyni Hailu, both from Ethiopia; Jess Hull of Australia; and Beatrice Chepkoech.

Welteji is the 1500m silver medallist, while Hailu and Hull are both ranked in the top eight all-time in the mile on the track. Chepkoech, Kipyegon’s compatriot, is a world 3000m steeplechase record-holder.

Rare record

Should Kipyegon emerge as the winner, it would close one of the greatest seasons any athlete has ever compiled.

She already has two golds won in the 1500m and 5000m, both achieved in the Budapest World Athletics Championship, and these achievements came just after she shattered records in the Florence and Monaco Diamond League series.

In the men’s entries, Reynold Cheruiyot will battle with Sam Prakel from the USA, who is eyeing rare history too. Prakel is in line to be the first official world record holder for the men’s road mile.

Hobbs Kessler of the USA and Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi, as well as Kyumbe Munguti of Kenya, are the other contestants in the men’s road mile.

Beatrice Chebet will be going for her second out-of-stadium world title of the year in the 5km after her success in Bathurst in February.

Ejgayehu Taye, a 5km mixed race world record-holder; Peruth Chemutai, an Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion; and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka, who is entered to double the mile, will challenge Chebet.

Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir is among the three fastest men in history to clash in the men’s 5km. Others are Ethiopia’s world record-holder, Berihu Aregawi and Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia too.

On the final day of the 2021 season, Aregawi set his record of 12:49 in Barcelona, while Taye set her record of 14:19.

Title defense

Peres Chepchirchir of Kenya and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda have entered to defend their titles.

Jepchirchir, the Olympic marathon champion, set a women-only world record of 1:05:16 when winning gold at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia and will compete against compatriot Irine Jepchumba Kimais, Ethiopia’s world cross-country silver medallist Tsigie Gebreselama, European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen from Germany, and Sara Hall from the USA.

In the men’s category, Kenya’s sensation Daniel Ebenyo, European 5km record-holder Jimmy Gressier from France, Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, and European 5km record-holder Jimmy Gressier from France

Of note is that Ebenyo is a world 10,000m silver medallist.