Ebenyo, 2023 Okpekpe race champion wants to conquer the World in Budapest

After conquering a stacked elite field and the nine year old 28:35 men’s course record at the ninth Okpekpe international 10km race last Saturday in Okpekpe, Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo has shifted his focus to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary this August.

Ebenyo ran 28:28, a new course record to become the fifth Kenyan winner of the men’s title and the 27 year old now has a new target.

‘I want to make the podium in Budapest at the World Athletics Championships. I want to win the 10,000m title,’ said Ebenyo who has secured the entry standard for the event.

The new Okpekpe race winner says he needs to conquer his fellow Kenyans first at the Kenya trials in June.

‘The major obstacle before me is the Kenyan trial on June 22. It is tougher than both the World Athletics Championships and the Olympics. If I can scale that hurdle, then I will be halfway to realising my dream.’

Ebenyo failed to make the podium in the 3,000m event at the World indoor championships last year in Belgrade but the two-time Kenya 5,000m champion is hoping for bigger things in what would be his debut at the outdoor championships if he scales the June 22 Kenyan trials.

‘I am going back to Kenya to start my preparation for the Trials. Okpekpe race is my last competition before the World Athletics Championships. I am only focused on making the podium in Budapest as World champion,’ he said.

If he wins in Budapest, Ebenyo will become the first Kenyan after Benjamin Limo (Helsinki, Finland in 2005) to win either the 5,000m or 10,000m at World Athletics’flagship event.

Ebenyo left Nigeria with gratitude to organisers of the Okpekpe race for making his first visit to Nigeria a memorable one.

‘I will like to comeback and break the course record again,’ said a confident Ebenyo.

‘I knew I was going to break the record in my first attempt here. This is the toughest 10km road race in the world,’ he concluded.