Four top athletes are aiming for the European record on Sunday
The fastest inhabitants of our earth on two running shoes will Sunday line up at the start for a lightning-fast 10-kilometer run through the streets of Valencia. This Spanish city of just under 800,000 inhabitants has been popular in the athletics world for years because of its particularly fast marathon course, but in recent years it has also been joined by an enormously strong and fast half marathon and 10-kilometer race.
Especially among Europeans, it looks to be a spirited battle as at least four athletes might be able to run the European record off the tables this Sunday. Frenchman Jimmy Gressier, Swiss Dominic Lobalu, Swede Andreas Almgren and Belgian Isaac Kimeli dream of dipping under 27 minutes.
Last year Swiss Lobalu already raced to a European record in Valencia, but lost it again later that year. He therefore secretly hopes that he will once again top the European ranking on Sunday. “I hope we will push each other to a fast time,” shared the Swiss, who has already started four times in Valencia, Friday at the official presentation of the elite field. “I can't promise anything, but I'm in top form and on track to do it. I'm really looking forward to racing in Valencia again,” he sounds hopeful.
Last year, Swedish challenger Andreas Almgren immediately clocked the Swedish record at his very first 10km race ever. This year, he hopes to maintain a slightly more even tempo and have a kick in at the end, an added bonus given his past as an 800m runner. Almgren, with a track record of 26:52.57, said during the presentation that his goal is “to go under 27 minutes, although there is a lot of competition because it's a race with great athletes who makes you run very fast. I'm really looking forward to the start”.
Jimmy Gressier did not yet speak to the press, but arrived suddenly Friday evening at the athletes' hotel in Valencia. He could well provide a lot of extra grinta in the European field as he already held the record once, while Belgian Isaac Kimeli has been able to continue training healthily and in top shape after his fourth place at the European Cross Country Championships.
Who among these four will manage to improve the European record held by 24-year-old Frenchman Etienne Daguinos (27:04) on Sunday?
(SR for Tagtik/Source: Tagtik/Illustration picture: Erik van Leeuwen via Wikimedia Commons (bron: Wikipedia) licensed under GFDL)