Who will get the chance to regain Kenya's glory in 10,000m?

Kenya's Daniel Simiu Ebenyo celebrates after finishing second in 10,000m final at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. [File, Standard]

The first race when the country stages the national trials for the 2023 Budapest World Championships at the Nyayo Stadium from Friday will be the 10,000m final. Observers say the battle for tickets is going to be a mini-world show.

A strong field has been assembled, and on target will be a 10,000m team that will deliver the title for Kenya at the 2023 World Championships set for August 19-27 in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

The last time a Kenyan man won a 10,000m gold medal at the World Championships was in 2001 when Charles Kimathi defeated then-Ethiopian bigshots Assefa Mezgebu and Haile Gebrselassie in Edmonton, Canada.

Haile Gebrselassie had denied Paul Tergat (the current National Olympic Committee of Kenya president) the gold medal in blistering contests in 1997 and 1999 in Athens and Seville respectively.

Since the inaugural World Championships in 1983, only three Kenyan men apart from Kimathi have topped the 25-lap race. They are Paul Kipkoech (1987 in Rome) and Moses Tanui (1991 in Tokyo).

Kenyan women have brought home four gold medals from the World Championships with Vivian Cheruiyot delivering two crowns in 2011 (Daegu) and 2015 (Beijing). Sally Barsosio and Linet Masai delivered wins in 1997 and 2009.

At the start line in the men’s 10,000m contest during the Friday showdown in Nairobi, will be Commonwealth silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, World 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka Mburu, former 5,000m World Under-20 champion Benson Kiplangat, former Half Marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie and Sabestian Kimaru among other bigwigs.

Last year, Stanley Mburu lost the men’s 10,000m title to Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei in Eugene, USA. Cheptegei also won gold in 2019.

Ebenyo and Kiplangat will be doubling in both 10,000m and 5,000m according to a provisional list of invites released by Athletics Kenya last weekend.

Yesterday, Ebenyo who is fresh from winning the 5,000m at the National Athletics Championships held from June 22 to 24 at the Nyayo Stadium said he was ready for the double.

He will be contesting the 10,000m title on Friday and the 5,000m honors during the final day of the national trials on Saturday.

“My major prayer is to be in the Kenyan team in Budapest. I am ready to double, and if I will be lucky to make it in both 5,000m and 10,000m, I leave the decision to compete in the two events in Budapest to my coach and the federation (Athletics Kenya),” Ebenyo told Standard Sport from his training base in Iten.

Ebenyo has had a successful season and is hoping to continue the winning streak during the two-day trials.

He triumphed at the Kip Keino Classic in May before shining at the National Championships last month. The Iten-based athlete had chalked up victory at the 2023 edition of the Istanbul Half Marathon in April.

Ebenyo who represented Kenya in 5,000m at the 2020 Olympic Games said he was banking on his top shape this season.

“I feel like I am ready to do more this season, but that can be proved by my coaches.

"The 10,000m race is likely to be very fast given the field assembled for the trials but I promise to do my best. I am taking my training seriously ahead of the championships on Friday and Saturday. I hope my prayers to make the team will be answered,” he said.

He will be facing Kandie, who is fresh from being crowned the national 10,000m champion following his win in Nairobi at the National Championships.