Likina Amebaw, Jemal Yimer, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Caroline Nyaga were among the winners as athletes descended on Paris for the Festival of Running ASICS Speed Race 5km and 10km events. Competition took place on an iconic 2.5km loop that started and finished at Palais-Royal in the shadow of the Louvre.
Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw and Kenya’s Loice Chemnung both dipped under 30 minutes in the women’s 10km, with Amebaw clocking a PB of 29:56 to win and Chemnung finishing just one second behind her. They were joined by Kenya’s Miriam Chebet during the first half of the race but Chebet was unable to maintain the pace and finished third in 30:41.
Finishing fourth, Nadia Battocletti improved her own Italian record to 31:19.
She also voiced her ambition to return to Paris to compete in the No.1 Olympic sport at the Games in August.
“I have got to work hard, and I hope I will be at the Olympic Games,” she said. “Now I will get ready for the track competition.”
Less than three weeks after his Seoul Marathon win in a PB of 2:06:08, Ethiopia’s Yimer matched his 10km best, running 27:43 to win the men’s race, also by one second.
Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech was runner-up in 27:44 and his compatriot Vincent Kibet was third in 27:48.
Ethiopia’s multiple world and Olympic 5000m medallist Gebrhiwet was racing a couple of weeks out from his African Games 5000m victory, which followed a 5km win in the rain at the Podium Festival in Leicester, UK. In Paris he won the men’s 5km in 13:24 ahead of Mohamed Ismael (13:32) and Adel Mechaal (13:34).
