NAIROBI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 250 athletes will be descending on Gdynia, Poland for the World Half Marathon Championships on Saturday and all eyes will be on the eastern African duel once again.
The resurgence and major progression of athletics standards in Uganda in recent years will be a force at the world half-marathon championships against the distance running powerhouses, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Fresh from breaking 10,000m and 5,000m records, Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei will lead his nation as he makes his world half-marathon debut alongside Jacob Kiplimo, Abel Chebet and Moses Kibet.
While Uganda's women team will comprise of Juliet Chekwel, Doreen Chesang, Doreen Chemutai, and Rachael Zena Chebet.
Kenya is strongly represented and will peg their victory hopes on the 2020 Prague Half Marathon champion Kibiwott Kandie and 2017 World Cross Country Championships silver medalist Leonard Barsoton in the men's team.
Maurice Munene, Bernard Kipkorir and Bernard Kimeli are other contenders.
World half marathon record holder Peres Jepchirchir will lead the Kenyan women side alongside Monicah Wanjiru, who has a 1:09:29 best set last year, Brilliant Jepkorir, Dorcas Kimeli and Joceline Jepkosgei, a former world half marathon record holder.
Kenya's coach Patrick Makau, a former world marathon record-holder expressed his confidence in the team ahead the World Championships, a first global Championships since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March.
"As a team, we are confident that we will be able to win both individual and team titles, the trophies will be coming home, the squad is up to the task ahead that I can assure," Makau told Xinhua on Thursday.
Ethiopian men's team will be led by Guye Adola, Anduamlak Belihu, Leou Gebresilassie, Amdework Walelign and Hailemariam Kiros while their women's counterparts will consist of defending champion, Netsanet Gudeta, Ababel Yeshaneh, Zeyneba Yimer, Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Meseret Gola. Enditem
