Bangalore: Procam International, promoters of the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bangalore 2014, today announced that the total registrations received for the upcoming run had crossed a phenomenal 25000, crossing last year\u2019s count by around 3000 registrations. A superfast elite athlete field to challenge existing course records, new initiatives for the year and details on the Get Active Expo for the TCS World 10K were among the significant announcements made in a Meet & Greet Session at the ITC Windsor, Bengaluru, the Official Host Hotel, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The occasion was also used by the promoters to declare its preparedness to present an improved seventh edition of the World\u2019s Premier 10K run that presents itself as a classical synthesis of track & field and road running and offers many of the world\u2019s fastest track athletes and their road-running counterparts an opportunity to come together and vie for glory. The seventh edition of the unique run will be flagged off from Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, May 18 2014.<\/p>\n
Present on the occasion Nagaraj Ijari, Vice President & Global Head of Hi-tech & Professional Services Business Segment, Tata Consultancy Services, Virendra Razdan , General Manager, ITC Windsor, Mr. Vivek Jawali, Chairman of Cardiac Fortis,Mr. Sandeep Juneja, Vice President Commercial, DHL, Ms. Rashmi Sharma, Cluster Head, Radio Mirchi Bangalore, Mr Murray Culshaw, Founder Chairman Bangalore Cares, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rai, Secretary Karnataka Athletic Association, Ms.Reeth Abhraham, International Athlete Mr. P.N. Sankaran, Director Operations, Procam International and Mr. Vivek B Singh, Jt. Managing Director, Procam International.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the preparations for the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bangalore 2014, Nagaraj Ijari, Vice-President & Global Head Hi-Tech & Professional Services Business Segment, TCS, \u201cToday we stand on the threshold of yet another edition of the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014, an event that continues to change the way the world looks at 10K runs. We are glad to present improved events each year and look forward to welcoming top track & field and roadrunners from across the world, within India, and from Bangalore to the run. We wish them the very best as they train for the run.\u201d<\/p>\n
Strong response from Bangalore city: It has been a momentous seven-year journey for the World 10K Bangalore since its inception in 2008, with the event setting benchmarks in terms of elite athlete participation, the involvement of the city and the amount of money raised for charity. For the seventh year, the total participation in the event has crossed 25,000. This commitment from the participants propels Procam International to deliver superior events year after year.<\/p>\n
The Open 10K Run, which also includes contests \u2018Nike – The Young and The Fast\u2019 and the \u2018DHL Corporate Champions\u2019, has received around 13,200 entries, a whopping 2500 more than last year, while the Majja Run 10,600. The Senior Citizens\u2019 Run will have over 750, while the event for the Champions With Disability will see 250 participants. Besides these races, the feature events of the day will be the World 10K for elite men & women.<\/p>\n
Track athletes and their road-running counterparts to come together in a superfast elite athlete field: Global Sports Communication (GSC), the event\u2019s elite athlete coordinator has put together a highly competitive field of elite athletes for the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014, with an aim to lower existing course records.<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s record stands at 27.51 minutes, set by Eritrea\u2019s Zersenay Tadese in 2008, while the women\u2019s mark stands at 31.58, set by Ethiopian Yimer Wude in 2010. An added incentive of USD 7500 is up for grabs for the new course record.<\/p>\n
Leading the field at the stadium\u2019s start line on Sunday, May 18 will be defending champion and world famous Alex Oloitiptip among men, and winner of a stunning seven medals at World Championships, Linet Masai on the women\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
Bringing out the true character of the event as a leading track & field and road-running event, the 10K Bangalore will bring together top road racerunners such as Alex Oloitiptip, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, Lucy Kabuu and Meselech Melkamu and their track & field counterparts Moses Kipsiro, Vincent Chepkok, Linet Masai and Ababel Yeshaneh.<\/p>\n
Each of the runners has highly impressive qualifications. While Alex is the event\u2019s defending champion, Geoffrey ran the fastest half marathon of 2013, Lucy is among the world\u2019s leading female distance runners, and Meselech is one of the fastest debutants in marathon in 2012.<\/p>\n
Among the track & field experts, Moses won the 5000m and 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Vincent was the 8th fastest athlete in 10,000m in 2013, Linet has won several medals at the World Championships in different events, and Ababel was the 5th fastest female runner over 10,000m in 2013. This proves that the event presents itself as an extraordinary platform where the world\u2019s finest runners come together and strive for victory.<\/p>\n
According to Jos Hermens of GSC, besides Linet, the other strong contenders in the women\u2019s run will be highly experienced Ethopian Meselech Melkamu, winner of five bronze medals at the World Cross Country Championships, and the brilliant Lucy Kabuu, who finished fourth in Bangalore last year and won the Delhi Half Marathon in 2011. They can expect to be given a run for their money by Ethopian runner Guteni Shone, back in Bangalore after impressing the running fraternity at last year\u2019s TCS World 10K by finishing second behind Gladys Cherono.<\/p>\n
Linet Masai is part of the \u2018Masai Running Family\u2019, having talented runner Moses and Dennis Masai as her brothers and Magdalyne as her younger sister running international as well. Her Gold at the 2009 Berlin World Champs 10,000m is the highlight of her career so far. She also clinched a 4th place at the Olympic Games 10,000m in 2008. Holding a World Junior 10,000m Record (30.26.50) and a World Best 10 miles (50.39) proves Linet is among the best female long distance runners and should be the woman to beat.<\/p>\n
Meselech has a great career on the track and cross-country behind her. She won five bronze medals at the World Cross Country Championships and won the golden medal in the junior race in 2004. Meselech represented Ethiopia at five World Championships, with her silver medal at the 10,000m in 2009 as a highlight. During the same year, she set a new African Record in the 10,000m by running a fabulous 29.53.80. Meselech Melkamu decided in 2012 to move to the marathon and made her debut in Frankfurt, winning the race in a quick 2.21.01.<\/p>\n
Lucy currently holds the 2nd fastest half marathon time in history, 66.09, clocked at the RAK Half Marathon last year and the 9th fastest in the full marathon, run in Dubai 2012. She is also winner of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2011. After finishing fourth in last year\u2019s Bangalore 10K, she is aiming for a top three position this year.<\/p>\n
After her top performance in Bangalore last year, Guteni went on to win both Luanda and Egmond Half Marathons. At the 2014 RAK Half Marathon, she finished third in a very competitive field. She will be one runner to watch out for.<\/p>\n
The exciting men\u2019s field includes 14 athletes who have run the 10 km just above 28.00 on either track or road and poses a strong challenge to the existing course record.<\/p>\n
Leading the Men Elite Athletes will be defending champion of the event and Kenya\u2019s Alex Oloitiptip. After his victory in Bangalore last year, Alex made his half marathon debut in Luanda where he was runner-up in a highly competitive running field. Making a transition to road races, Alex is happy to be back in Bangalore and remembers with pride his top achievements that include winning the 2014 Azkoitia \u2013 Azpeitia Half Marathon.<\/p>\n
Alex will face stiff competition from Geoffrey, the 2014 World Half Marathon Champion and former world junior cross champion. His personal best of 58:54, set at the RAK Half Marathon this year, ranked him number one on the IAAF top lists. Geoffrey will come to India for the fourth time. He won the Bangalore 10K in 2012 and was runner-up in the 2011 and 2013 Delhi Half Marathon.<\/p>\n
Other top athletes such as Ethopia\u2019s gifted Birhanu Legese, the fastest man in the run with a best of 27:34, and Kinde Atanaw, Morocco\u2019s Najim El Qady, and Kenyans Jacob Kendagor and Peter Matelong will ensure edge of the seat action. Posing a threat to the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes will be American athletes Jeffrey Eggleston and talented Ugandan debutant Joshua Cheptegei, making his international debut in Bangalore.<\/p>\n
Not new to India, Moses is a strong contender too. He took the second place in Bangalore in 2008 and 2010, and aims at taking the first place this year. Last year, Moses had the biggest win of his career on the road by beating Wilson Kipsang and Haile Gebrselassie in the Great Manchester 10K.<\/p>\n
Known to be a strong athlete who combines track and road races, Birhanu will add depth to the field in Bangalore. He had his breakthrough at the Great Ethiopian Run in 2012 by finishing second. Last year, he took the third place in Bangalore before he started his track season. Birhanu improved his personal best at the FKB Games in Hengelo, the Netherlands to 13:15.32, and is a man who can do extremely well in the run this year. Even though Kinde Atanaw\u2019s athletics career started only two years ago, the Ethopian made a huge progression, especially at the 10K. After finishing fourth at the 2012 World Junior Championships, he improved his personal best to 27:36 in Prague last year.<\/p>\n
Vincent Chepkok won his first international medal at the WC Cross Country in 2007, where he finished second in the junior race. In 2011, he took the bronze medal in the senior race. Vincent was among the bests track athletes for the past few years. In 2013, he ran the 8th fastest time of the year on the 10.000m. So far he has run 11 times sub 13:00 in the 5000m on the track and it will be interesting to observe his performance in Bangalore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bangalore: Procam International, promoters of the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bangalore 2014, today announced that the total registrations received for the upcoming run had crossed a phenomenal 25000, crossing last year\u2019s count by around 3000 registrations. A superfast elite athlete field to challenge existing course records, new initiatives for the year and details on the Get Active Expo for the TCS World 10K were among the significant announcements made in a Meet & Greet Session at the ITC Windsor, Bengaluru, the Official Host Hotel, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The occasion was also used by the promoters to declare its preparedness to present an improved seventh edition of the World\u2019s Premier 10K run that presents itself as a classical synthesis of track & field and road running and offers many of the world\u2019s fastest track athletes and their road-running counterparts an opportunity to come together and vie for glory. The seventh edition of the unique run will be flagged off from Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, May 18 2014.<\/p>\n
Present on the occasion Nagaraj Ijari, Vice President & Global Head of Hi-tech & Professional Services Business Segment, Tata Consultancy Services, Virendra Razdan , General Manager, ITC Windsor, Mr. Vivek Jawali, Chairman of Cardiac Fortis,Mr. Sandeep Juneja, Vice President Commercial, DHL, Ms. Rashmi Sharma, Cluster Head, Radio Mirchi Bangalore, Mr Murray Culshaw, Founder Chairman Bangalore Cares, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rai, Secretary Karnataka Athletic Association, Ms.Reeth Abhraham, International Athlete Mr. P.N. Sankaran, Director Operations, Procam International and Mr. Vivek B Singh, Jt. Managing Director, Procam International.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-isn-front-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n