NAIROBI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenyans James Kibet, Joel Maina Mwangi, Paul Tiongik and James Mburugu are the top Kenyan names at the Rome 10km road race on Friday.
Kibet clocked the best time of 13:11.87 in the 5,000m in Berlin two years ago and won the Campaccio IAAF Cross Country Permit race in January.
He also holds solid career-best times over different distances including 7:43.13 in the 3000m and 28:23.31 in the 10,000m.
"I need to push for a faster time and hopefully win the title in Rome. But the challenge is strong and have to be at the best to hold them out," said Kibet on Thursday.
Tiongik won the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Venaria Reale near Turin last March and finished fourth at the Milan Half Marathon in 1:02:07.
Last October he clocked his half marathon best time of 1:01:46 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Mburugu clocked two 1:02 half marathon races this year with 1:01:37 in Jesolo and 1:01:35 in Cremona.
The top Italian name is Giuseppe Gerratana, the European Under-23 silver medalist in the 3000m steeplechase in 2013.
Clementine Mukandanga will be bidding to win the women's race for the second consecutive year. The Rwandan clocked the best time of 2:30:59 at the Florence Marathon in 2018 and finished sixth at the All-African Games in 2015 in the 10,000m.
She will be up against the Kenyan contingent is led by Ivyne Lagat and Lenah Jerotich.
Lagat finished eighth at the Milan Half Marathon in March and won the Aosta Half Marathon in 1:12:24 ahead of Mukandanga. Lagat clocked 1:11:23 in the 2016 Cardiff Half Marathon.
"I have done well in training and will be ready for the challenge," said Lagat.
