USA’s Kurgat to battle Kenya’s Chelang’at as Kiptoo eyes podium finish in Austin
By Joel Sang, November 29, 2023Kenya’s Mercy Chelang’at will face stiff competition from USA’s Edna Kurgat during the World Athletics Cross Country Tour in Texas on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
Chelang’at heads to the race in Austin, carrying her titles in 10,000m won last year and another in cross country in 2020. She will also be encouraged by her 1:11:37 timing recorded in Boston earlier this month when she made her half-marathon debut.
Kurgat’s threat
Kurgat goes to Thursday’s race hoping to have an impressive outing in order to help her forget her underperformance in her last cross-country race, which was at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, where she finished 18th.
However, Kurgat’s campaign on the track has been impressive this year; she managed a personal best in both the 5000m and 10,000m before lifting bronze in the latter race during the Pan-African Games.
Kurgat has won medals in 10k and 20km during the national races, and in Austin last year, she finished just 12 seconds behind Alicia Monson, the eventual winner.
Krissy Gear, Kurgat’s teammate, was the US steeplechase winner when she clocked her personal best of 9:12.81 earlier in the year.
The USA’s team also boasts Katie Izzo. She joined the team for the World Cross early in the year and finished 31st, but she heads to Austin with a personal best set in the 10,000m and in the half marathon.
Mahelet Mulugeta will represent Ethiopia. She raced in the 800m at the 2017 World Championships, but in recent years has preferred the distance.
Kiptoo’s target
Meanwhile, in the men’s race, Wesley Kiptoo will be targeting a podium finish. In Austin last year, the Marakwet-born star finished sixth, just two seconds ahead of Olin Hacker, who ended up taking the seventh position.
Kiptoo, who made his marathon debut in Chicago in October and is the 2021 NCAA indoor 5000m champion, made his marathon debut in Chicago last month and clocked a personal best of 1:00:35 when finishing second at the Houston Half Marathon, according to World Athletics.
On the other hand, Hacker, a former NCAA 5000m champion, set personal bests in the 1500m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m and placed 14th over 5km at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.
Charles Hicks of Britain is expected to be a formidable challenger, having won the European U23 5000m title earlier this year. Hacker has had impressive outings in cross country and is a two-time European U23 winner. The 2022 NCAA title is also a title in his collection.
South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt, who set national records at 3000m (7:39.25), 5000m (13:02.46), and 10,000m (27:23.10) and placed 14th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest, will also race in Austin.
Tunisia’s 2022 NCAA steeplechase champion Ahmed Jaziri, Kenya’s 2018 NCAA 10,000m silver medallist Vincent Kiprop, and USA’s Pan-American 1500m bronze medallist Casey Comber are the other entries in the race.