May 24, (THEWILL) – Ethiopian athlete, Yasin Haji, is vying to etch his name in the annals of sports history, as he seeks to become the first man to successfully defend the Okpekpe international 10km Road Race title.
The 27-year-old is already in Lagos, Nigeria, in preparation for the race scheduled to take place in Okekpe, Edo State, on Saturday. THEWILL recalls that he secured victory in the 2022 edition of the race, becoming the third Ethiopian male athlete to claim the Okpekpe title. With a winning time of 29:05, which stands as the third-fastest in the race’s history, he joined the ranks of Teshome Mekonen and Leule Gebrselassie.
Haji’s recent form is promising, having clocked an impressive lifetime best of 27:20 in Herzogenaurach, Germany, last month. However, Haji’s pursuit of history will not go uncontested. Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, a Kenyan athlete, aims not only to restore Kenya’s prominence on the podium but also to challenge Mekonen’s course record of 28:35.
Ebenyo boasts an impressive running resume, including a remarkable 26:58 performance in Valencia, Spain, in January 2022. Having won the Istanbul Half Marathon in Turkey with a time of 59:52, he is determined to become the fifth Kenyan to claim victory at the Okpekpe 10km race.
In the women’s race, the potential for a new course record looms large with a lineup of elite athletes ready to compete. Kenya’s Edith Jepchumba leads the pack, aiming to surpass the current record of 32:41 set by Ethiopia’s Wude Ayalew in 2014. Jepchumba boasts a lifetime best of 30:53, nearly two minutes faster than the existing course record. Ethiopia’s Bertukan Welde has also shown promise, having run a time of 32:00 in Castellon, Spain, last February.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
