Madrid test to close year for Kiplimo

When Jacob Kiplimo triumphed at the NN Zevenheuvelenloop with a course record and world 15km best time of 40 minutes and 42 seconds in the Netherlands on November 17, the feeling was that his season was over.

 However at the weekend, Kiplimo’s management Rosa Associati from Italy announced that he will race one time before the end of 2024.

Kiplimo will run a familiar 10km road race at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Spanish capital Madrid on New Year’s Eve.

“Kiplimo, Olympic and world bronze medallist in 10000 metres, is reunited six years later with the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana,” read a statement from race organisers.

In 2018, Kiplimo won the race in a course record time of 26:41, which still stands to-date. The 24-year-old’s entry was confirmed alongside Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, who won the 10000-metre silver Olympic medal behind Joshua Cheptegei at the Paris Games in August.

Kiplimo and Aregawi are not only friends but also share the same Italian management and manager Federico Rosa. Their battle is set to form the gist of this race before fireworks take over Madrid’s skies.

The pair has already faced off thrice this year; Kiplimo winning the senior men’s 10km race while Aregawi came second during the World Athletics Cross-country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on March 30.

On May 17, Aregawi came second while Kiplimo was fourth over the 5000-metre race at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the USA. In Paris on August 2, Aregawi got silver but Kiplimo was agonized by an eighth place finish over the 25-lap race.

This will mark their first duel over the 10km distance on road. Aregawi, 23, holds the Vallecana title after winning in 27:16 a year ago and he is the second fastest over the distance in history at 26:33, behind Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto’s 2023 record.

Kiplimo however has run eight competitive races this year and won four of five on the road, only falling four seconds short of victory behind Kenyan Sabastian Sawe at the Copenhagen Half-Marathon in Denmark on September 15. 

The two high-profile runners could put up a show, which could mirror a future duel for the 10000-metre at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships due September in Japan.

This is because following the departure of Cheptegei from track; they are tipped to take over the track long-distance running dominance, alongside Canadian Mohammed Ahmed, American Grant Fisher, Ethiopian Selemon Barega and a bunch of Kenyans including Nicholas Kipkorir.

Kiplimo and Aregawi must however also beat the threat from Spanish talents like 2016 European 5000-metre champion Adel Mechaal, Yago Rojo and Jesús Ramos.

SAN SILVESTRE VALLECANA

RACE DETAILS

Date: December 31

Location: Vallecas, Madrid, Spain

Event type: 10K run

Distance: 10 km

Primary sponsor: Nationale Nederlanden

Established: 1964

Course records: Men: 26:41 (Jacob Kiplimo, 2018) & Women: 29:54 (Brigid Kosgei, 2018)

SAN SILVESTRE VALLECANA

CAST OF MEN’S 10K WINNERS

2023: Berihu Aregawi (ETH)             27:16

2022: Joshua Cheptegei (UGA)          27:09

2021: Mohamed Katir (ESP)              27:45

2020: Daniel Ebenyo (KEN)              27:41

2019: Bashir Abdi (BEL)                   27:47

2018: Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)               26:41

2017: Erick Kiptanui (KEN)               27:34

2016: Nguse Tesfaldet (ERI)              28:09

2015: Mike Kigen (KEN)                   27:35

2014: Mike Kigen (KEN)                   27:51 

KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE

Date of birth: November 14, 2000

Major events: 5000m, 10000m, Half-Marathon

Coach: Iacorpo Brasi

Personal Bests: 12:40.96 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m), 57:31 (21km)

Manager: Federico Rosa

Management: Rosa Associati

KIPLIMO IN 2024

Jan 14, 2024: Valencia 10K Ibercaja (1st, 26:48)

Feb 10, 2024: National Cross-country (1st, 29:04)

Mar 30, 2024: World Cross-country (1st, 28:09)

May 17, 2024: LA Grand Prix, 5000m (4th, 12:52.91)

May 30, 2024: Oslo DL, 5000m (3rd, 12:40.96)

Aug 2, 2024: Paris Olympics, 10000m (8th, 26:46.39)

Sept 15, 2024: Copenhagen Half-Marathon (2nd, 58:09)

Nov 17, 2024: NN Zevenheuvelenloop (1st, 40:42)