Three current world champions are participating at the international New Year's Eve Run BOclassic on new year's eve 2011 in Bozen/Bolzano in Italy.
Besides title holders Imane Merga and Vivian Cheruiyuot, half marathon world champion and 10,000m African champion Wilson Kiprop from Kenya is also coming to BOclassic's 37th edition.
The elite runs for women (5km) and for men (10m) are broadcasted live on the national TV channel RAI Sport 1. Three current world champions participating: this is absolutely new for the BOclassic. In today's presentation of the starter field athlete's director Gianni Demadonna issued these "good news" .
"With Wilson Kiprop the third current world champion and African champion is coming to Bozen/Bolzano and he can also dispute the victory to Imane Merga and Edwin Soi." gives Demadonna hot expectations to the men's run.
Kirpro is half marathon world champion and African champion over 10,000m. He is in top form. Title holder Imane Merga won this year's WC bronze medal over 10,000m, was world X champion and won the Diamond League over 5,000 m.
The threefold BOclassic winner Edwin Soi is also a hot candidate for the victory. Some days ago, he defeated Merga in a competition in Paris. One may be anxious of how 1500m European champion Arturo Cassao from Spain, the Moroccan Abdelaziz El Idrissi and record holder Serihy Lebid will finish the race.
This year, the elite run for women is not as strongly cast as in 2010 but with Vivian Cheruiyot, the undisputed best runner of the world is starting in Bozen/Bolzano. The 28-year-old Kenyan won this year's WC title over 5000 and 10,000 m, as well as the cross.
Anything other than Cheruiyot's victory would be a sensation. WC's fourth over 1500 Ibtissam Lakhouad from Morocco, last year's fifth Ana Dias from Portugal, the Hungarian Kristzina Papp, the your Ethyopian Afera Godfay and local hero Silvia Weissteiner will have to fight for the rest of the podium places.
The British runner Justina Heslop is also starting. Altogether, just under 60 athlete's form 11 nations are participating. Up to 15,000 spectators are expected to pass the last afternoon of the year in South Tyrol's biggest lounge, Bozen/Bolzano's Walther Square and alongside the track. Calculating all the participators with Ladurner Road Run and Youth Road Run, around 800 runners will be starting this year.
The national TV channel RAI Sport 1 is broadcasting the elite runs form 2.55pm onwards. The run can also be followed via internet http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/2011/diretta.html.
For more information see www.boclassic.it.