Paul Tergat joins guest line-up for 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K in Brasov
Paul Tergat, Kenya’s legendary five-time world cross country champion and former world record holder over 10,000m and the marathon, has been confirmed as a guest for the 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K in Brasov.
The race, scheduled for Sunday, 5 October, is the only World Athletics Elite Label Road Race over 10km in Europe next year and is widely regarded as the most prestigious 10km road race in southeast Europe.
Joining Tergat among the special guests is Wendy Sly, Great Britain’s 1984 Olympic Games 3000m silver medallist and former 10km world champion.
The women’s field is particularly strong this year, headlined by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, a multiple world record-breaker who will be aiming to improve on her personal best and former world record of 29:43.
Jepkosgei also carries the weight of national pride, as Kenyan runners have claimed victory in the women’s race at each of the past four editions of the tRUNsylvania 10K.
However, she faces stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa, the 2022 and 2024 world U20 5000m champion, who leads the 2025 world list with a blistering 29:25 performance in Castellon, Spain, earlier this year.
Eisa, just 20 years old, remains undefeated in her three road race appearances this season and has also improved her 3000m track best to 8:23.08.
Her compatriot Asayech Ayichew, also 20, will be another strong contender, having run a series of personal bests in 2025, including a 29:43 finish at the Valencia 10km in January. The current women’s course record in Brasov stands at 30:07, set by Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui in 2022.
The men’s race promises equally fierce competition, with five Kenyan athletes boasting personal bests under 27:30.
Daniel Kosen leads the group, though Vincent Kipkorir and Vincent Kiprono are also considered favorites given their outstanding form in the first half of 2025.
All three, along with other top contenders, will be targeting the course record of 26:51, set by Kenya’s Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli in 2022.
Among the leading men expected on the start line are Maxime Chaumeton of South Africa, Cornelius Kibet Kemboi and Amos Kipkemei of Kenya, Selemon Atakiti Kidanu of Ethiopia, Robin Hendrix of Belgium, Dan Kibet of Uganda, Phil Sesemann of Great Britain, Samuel Barata of Portugal, Said Mechaal of Spain, and Khairi Bejiga Dilgasu of Ethiopia.
The women’s field also includes Mariam Lufti Njoki, Faith Cherono, Lidia Cheptarus Cheruyiot, and Brenda Jepchirchir from Kenya, Samiyah Hassan Nour from Djibouti, and Yasemin Can from Turkey.
Race Director Daniel Santa expressed his excitement about the caliber of athletes competing this year.
‘I believe we will see some very quick times in both the men’s and women’s races and the quality of tRUNsylvania 10K should once again capture the imagination of athletics fans around the world,’ he said.
‘Both races will be very competitive and the battles for supremacy should provide some thrilling racing. Predicting course records is always a dangerous pastime in our sport but it’s possible in both races, even more so in the women’s race with the calibre of runners that we have brought to Brasov.’
Santa added, ‘It’s quite possible that we will see the first women’s 10km under 30 minutes in Romania, an achievement that is still very much a rarity and which would be quite a landmark for our event.’
