Madrid welcomes world class athletes in New Year’s Eve race

KENYA’S world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich will be competing in the annual San Silvestre Vallecana 10-kilometre road race in the Madrid suburb this evening (December 31).

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, amateur runners will have to make do with taking part of a virtual basis but elite professional runners will follow a 2.5 kilometre ‘bubble’ and make four loops of the course.

Chepng’etich will be up against Ethiopia’s world half marathon bronze medallist Yalemzerf Yehualaw among other invited athletes.

The two met last October during the New Delhi half marathon where Yalemzerf was the victor beating her opponent by 30 seconds.

A total of 500 participants will be allowed: 250 women starting at 6.30pm and 250 men at 7.30pm. The start will be staggered with runners split into groups of six runners.

“It has been a difficult year for athletes but I’m happy because this is my third race and I will be running my own race. I have prepared well and I will be expecting a good competition eyeing a place in the podium,” Chepng’etich told The Daily Nation.

Adding, “It’s my dream to compete in the Olympic Games and I have to start preparing early. I’m just using these races for speed work as we wait for next year which we hope things will ease off.”

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