Bangalore: Geoffrey Kamworor and Lucy Kabuu led a Kenyan sweep and broke the course records while winning the TCS World 10K Bangalore run here Sunday.
Competing in the elite athlete field, Kamworor virtually destroyed the opposition with a terrific kick over the final three km to win in a course record of 27 minutes, 44 seconds that bettered the previous best of 27:51 set by Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese in 2008.
Likewise, little Kabuu with her distinctive high hand action and bouncy strides pulled away from compatriot Joyce Chepkirui over the last couple of kilometers to win in 31:48, well clear of the Ethiopian Yimer Wude’s four-year old record of 31:58.
B.C. Tilak and Swati Gadhave topped among Indian men and women, respectively. Both won quite comfortably after breaking clear of the pack midway through, clocking 30:38 and 37:22, respectively.
The elite men’s race followed a predictable pattern with Daniel Salel of Kenya setting the pace before Cheptegei, Atanaw and Kamworor, lurking in the middle of the front pack, took over the front running.
The 21-year old Kamworor, winner here in 2012 and the World Half-Marathon champion, eventually broke clear of the field with a tremendous burst of acceleration to win from Cheptegei (28:24) and Ethiopian Kinde Atanaw (28:35).
Defending champion Alex Oloitiptip was very much part of the front bunch, but when the pace picked up, the Kenyan faded away and eventually finished a distant sixth in 29:03.
The elite women’s race saw Chepkirui and Kabuu taking charge just after the half-way mark. The two ran shoulder to shoulder until Kabuu came up with a burst about two kilometers from the finish and spared six seconds to Chepkirui (31:55) who also bettered the course record while Linet Masai completed a Kenyan sweep in 32:28.
The results:
Elite Men: Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) 1 (27mins, 44secs; NR. Old: 27:51); Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) 2 (28:24); Kinde Atanaw (Ethiopia) 3 (28:35).
Elite Women: Lucy Kabuu (Kenya) 1 (31:48; NR. Old: 31:58); Joyce Chepkirui (Kenya) 2 (31:55); Linet Masai (Kenya) 3 (32:28).
Indians: Men – BC Tilak 1 (30:26); Anish Thapa 2 (30:38); Nitendra Singh Rawat 3 (30:47). Women: Swati Gadhave 1 (37:22); Jayashree Boragee 2 (37:35); Supriya Patil 3 (37:46).