Kenyan Edwin Soi has won the 2009 BOclassic New Year Eve run in Bozen/Bolzano (Italy) in a time of 28.44.3.
Soi, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, finished ahead of Imanemerga Jida of Ethiopia (28.45,3) and Mohammed 'Mo' Farah of Great Britain (28.48,3) to claim his third victory in a row.
The 35th edition of the BOclassic was dominated by Africans and with this victory over the best cast New Year's Eve run of the world, Soi followed in the footsteps of record winner Serhiy Lebid.
No runner other than Serhiy Lebid managed three victories in Bozen. However, the Ukrainian ended up on the ninth place.
Italy's young star Andrea Lalli finished fifth behind the Kenyan Silas Kipruto, who tore the field apart in the second, super fast round and thus separated the wheat from the chaff.
Kenya managed its 17th victory in Bozen and it was the 11th for the men.
This yearʻs edition had top-class cast with 37 men and 24 women from 15 different nations participating in the elite run from Ethiopia, Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Kenya, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Tunesia, Ukraine, Hungary.
Utura soars
The women's race (5km) was won by Ethiopian Gedo Sule Utura. The World Junior champion over 5000m already won predominantly in the Corrida de Houilles last Sunday.
In Bozen, she managed to distance herself in the second round and led safely to secure the victory. The Slovenian Sonja Roman was surprisingly strong. The 1500m specialist was the only one to keep up with Utura and beat the French Christelle Daunay.
The Hungarian Aniko Kalovics, after four podium places in a row, had to content herself with the fifth place.
Despite a very rainy afternoon, about 10,000 people gathered around the track and followed this special athletics event in the historical streets of Bozen/Bolzano.
Full Results:
Men (10km)
1. Edwin Soi (Kenya) 28.44,3
2. Imanemerga Jida (Ethiopia) 28.45,3
3. Mohamed Farah (UK) 28.48,3
4. Silas Kipruto (Kenya) 29.25,2
5. Andrea Lalli (Italy) 29.33,3
6. Atalay Tegegne Yirsaw (Ethiopia) 29.46,0
7. Vasily Matvichuk (Ukraine) 30.06,9
8. Rachid Jarmouni (Morocco) 30.11,5
9. Sergey Lebid (Ukraine) 30.18,9
10. Michael Skinner (UK) 30.23,3
Women (5km)
1. Gedo Sule Utura (Ethiopia) 16:11.4
2. Sonja Roman (Slovenia) 16:13.9
3. Christelle Daunay (France) 16:17.1
4. Sophie Duarte (France) 16:22.7
5. Aniko Kalovics (Hungary) 16:24.3