Ethiopia’s Yasin Haji will be seeking to make history as the first man to successfully defend an Okpekpe International 10km Road Race title after the 27-year-old arrived Lagos for Saturday’s race in Okekpe, Edo State. Jaji became the third Ethiopian man to win the Okpekpe race 10km title after he ran 29:05, the third fastest winning time in race history, to claim the title in 2022. Teshome Mekonen, who ran 28.35 in 2014 to set the race record, was the first Ethiopian to win the men’s race and Leule Gebrselassie (29:28) the second to win it three years later. He ran 59:52 to win the Istanbul Half Marathon in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of last month and will be looking to become the fifth Kenyan winner of the Okpekpe 10km title. Kenya’s Edith Jepchumba will lead the athletes aiming to rewrite the 32:41 course record set by Ethiopia’s Wude Ayalew in 2014.

Source: Ethiopian News May 24, 2023 00:32 UTC