Pingua, Gebresilase ready to break course record as new winners expected to emerge at 10th Okpekpe 10km road race

Edward Zakayo Pingua and Haftamu Gebresilase say they are ready to break the 28:28 Okpekpe course record set last year by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo.
The Kenyan and the Ethiopian have both ran inside 28 minutes in the event with Pingua running a 27.49 lifetime best in January while Gebresilase ran 27:48 last year.

‘I have trained hard for this and I believe it can be achieved albeit I have not seen the course yet but I have been told of its hilly nature towards the final three kilometres or so,’ said Pingua at the pre-race press conference at Setraco hotel in Auchi.

Gebresilase shared in the Kenyan’s sentiments but also hopes to return the Okpekpe 10km title to Ethiopia after Ebenyo denied Hasin Haji the chance to become the first man to successfully defend an Okpekpe title last year.

For the women’s race, Gladys Kwamboka of Kenya is also confident she can break the 32:38 course record set by Kenyan-born Kazakhtani, Caroline Chepkoech Kipriuki last year.

Kwamboka ran a new 31.54 lifetime best last month over the distance and says she has trained very hard for the race.
‘Albeit I am yet to see the (Okpekpe) course, I believe I have trained hard enough to set a new record,’ said the Kenyan

Meanwhile, new winners are expected to emerge in the international elite race on Saturday in Okpekpe, Edo state following the absence of defending champions, Ebenyo and Kipkiriu.

Ebenyo will not be available this time around because of the Kenyan trials for the 10,000m event same day in far away Eugene, USA at the Prefontain Diamond League meeting.

Top winners at the Okpekpe Race, men and women, can make a total of $22,000 each if they break the official course and African (World) records (subject to ratification under World Athletics rules).

This will be made up of the prize money of $15,000 and $2,000 for breaking the course record and $5,000 for breaking the African/World record.

Okpekpe road race is the first road race in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics certified course measurer and the first to be granted a label status (bronze in 2015) by World Athletics.

This means Okpekpe road race is the first internationally recognized road running event in West Africa. It was upgraded to a silver level label staus in 2018 before it moved to gold in 2023.

It is thus the first gold label 10km race ever run on Nigerian soil.