On a day when no one predicted fast timings, Geoffrey Kamworoor-Kipsang obliterated the six-year-old course record with an excellent 27:44 clocking, while Lucy Kabuu led a Kenyan podium sweep in the women’s race, also with a brilliant new time of 31:48, in the 7^th edition of TCS World 10K Bangalore.

Pacemaker Daniel Salel, a silver medalist in 10000m at Delhi Commonwealth Games four years ago, led the runners through the first half of the race in 13:57.   Defending champion Alex Oloitiptip and his Kenyan teammate Kamworor were in the lead group, as was Ethiopian Kinde Atanaw.  Incidentally the Ethiopian has the fastest time of 27:36, which he clocked during his second place finish at Prague last year, among those who took to the starting line in the men’s race today.  Atanaw was running alongside Kamworor before the Kenyan break-away after 6 km mark as the runners approached the popular Chinnaswamy Stadium—the Mecca of Cricket followers here.

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor-Kipsang crosses the finish line in 00:27:44 seconds with New Course record to win the overall men’s title at the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014. In the picture also seen the Carl Lewis, Event Ambassador & Puneeth Rajkumar, Face of the Event. Pic: Procam

Elaborating on his run, Kamwaror said, “I had one target when I returned to Bangalore and that was to break the course record. I am thrilled because I have done that today. I won the run because I was well-prepared though the conditions were not easy. I pushed after the 5km mark and did well. I will be back here again!”

Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, who made his first international debut in Bangalore, came from behind to win in second place 40 seconds after the Kenyan.  Usually a cross-country runner who excelled at steeplechase at times, Cheptegei felt the conditions suitable for his maiden appearance here. Atanaw, as in previous years, filled the bronze position for Ethiopia in 28:35.   Last year’s winner Oloitiptip, could not overcome the humid weather conditions, finished on sixth.

As in the men’s race pacemaker Beatrice Mutai did the front-running and led a group of 10 women in the race that started at 8:25 a.m.    Having performed her duty, Mutai started trailing behind after the 4km mark where Kenyan Joyce Chepkirui emerged as a leader and covered the distance at 12:36.  Teammate Lucy Kabuu, former Commonwealth Games gold medalist in 10000m and winner of Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon three years ago, along with Linet Masai joined the fray with Chepkirui in the remaining part of the race. 

Both Kabuu and Chepkirui pulled away from Masai after the 6km mark and started running neck-to-neck for the next kilometer until the duo passed the Vidhan Saudha, that houses the state legislative assembly of Karnataka.   Kabuu applied pressure when she entered another of Bangalore’s landmark Cubbon Park while Chepkirui struggling hard to maintain the pace.  However Chepkirui, who holds a marvellous 30:37 clocked during her golden finish at Berlin last year, could not survive the increasing tempo of Kabuu in the waning stages of the race and swept away the title in 31:48.  To her satisfaction Chepkirui also improved the previous record of 31:58 which stood in the name of Ethiopian Yimer Wude since 2010, as she timed 31:55 to better it on that shiny Sunday.  Masai made it a 1-2-3 affair for the Kenyans in 32:28.  It was a second time that Kenyans have made a podium sweep here after the 2012 edition.

Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu crosses the finish line in 00:31:48 seconds with New Course record to win the overall women’s title at the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014. In the picture also seen the Anju Bobby George (Olympian) and Dr. N. Nagambika Devi, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government, Youth Empowerment and Sports Department. Pic: Procam

“I thank almighty God, who made me win today. I am delighted also because I have established a new course record. I was comfortable throughout the race, but decided to make my move after the 8km mark. I am glad it worked and I have won today”, said an overjoyed Kabuu.

Both the winners – Geoffrey Kamworor and Lucy Kabuu – earned a course record jackpot of USD 7,500 besides their first place prize purse of USD 21,000 each.   The total prize pot of the race is USD 170,000.

The Indian men’s winners of the TCS World 10K Bangalore, 2014 (from left) 1st runner up Nitendra Singh Rawat, Winner B. C. Tilak and 2nd runner up Anish Thapa. Pic: Procam

Trained under J.S. Bhatia, it was third-time lucky for Army lad B.C. Tilak in Bangalore in 30:26.  Anish Thapa, hails from Meghalaya, found the weather conditions hot and humid yet managed to finish second (30:38) behind Tilak on his debut over the 10K course.  Last year’s Asian Grand Prix winner Nitendra Singh Rawat was third at 30:47.  All the three runners are attached with different units of the Indian Army.

Swati Gadhave won the women’s section among the Indian runners by leaving behind some of the leading names in the sport.  Swati, second in 2012 and sixth in 2011 at Bangalore, ran a tactical race when most of the other runners found it difficult to keep up with the conditions on the road.   Her time of 37:22 was second slowest winning time here after local girl Preeti L. Rao’s 37:47 from 2010.  Marathoners Jayashree Boragee (37:35) and Supriya Patil (37:46) finished on in the next two spots behind Gadhave. 

Brand Ambassador and legendary athlete Carl Lewis encouraged the participants along with other celebrities who had come over here to support the ever-increasing number of entrants in Namma Run.     

Following are the final results:

Overall Elite Men:

Geoffrey Kamworor Kipsang (KEN) 00:27:44 (New Course Record)

Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 00:28:24

Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 00:28:35

Overall Elite women: 

Lucy Kabuu (KEN) 00:31:48 (New Course Record)

Goyce Chepkirui (KEN) 00:31:55

Linet Masai (KEN) 00:32:28

Indian Men:

B. C. Tilak 00:30:26 (Overall 12)

Anish Thapa 00:30:38 (Overall 13)

Nitendra Singh Rawat 00:30:47 (Overall  14)

Indian Women:

Swati Gadhave 00:37:22 (Overall 11)

Jayashree Boragee 00:37:35 (Overall 12)

Supriya Patil 00:37:46 (Overall 13)

DHL Corporate Champions:

FITKIDS (Goutham S, Nanda Gopal B R, Sowmya Savanth) 01:58:16.

GE INDIA (Vishakha Pandey, Bharat Sethuraman, Rohit Mohan) 02:17:20

WIPRO A (Sachin M G, Mukesh Prasad, Kamakshi L K) 02:19:40.

MEN: Open 10K Challenge (15 to 20 Yrs.)

Viraindra Rautela 00:38:00; Sunil Kumar 00:39:12; Rajiv D. 00:39:30

(20 to 30 Yrs.)

Nanjundappa Maniyallappa 00:33:57; Christian A Ackeret (SUI) 00:35:20; Jegadheesan Munusamy 00:35:36.

(30 to 40 Yrs.)

Raja 00:36:20; Michael Allenspach (SUI) 00:37:13; Pierre Digbo (FRA) 00:38:12.

(40 to 50 Yrs.)

Suresh Chand 00:38:55; Thomas Philip 00:39:48; Farid Ahmed 00:40:07.

(50 to 60 Yrs.)

Ashok Nath 00:39:56; Robert Coombes (GBT) 00:42:24; Srinath S 00:43:36.

(60 to 70 Yrs.)

Manjunatha Kota 00:52:00; Chandran G 00:52:30; Kannan S 00:54:56.

(Above 70 Yrs.)

Mahadev Samjiskar 01:00:42; Meenakshisundaram M 01:07:02; Janardan Bylahalli Raghunath 01:22:37.

Women: Open 10K Challenge (15 to 20 Yrs.)

Madhuri Deshmukh 00:45:22; Aishwarya Shete 00:52:57; Namrata Narendra 00:53:15.

(20 to 30 Yrs.)

Vanessa Job 00:50:41; Upasana Koul 00:51:46; Zainab Shoib 00:53:57.

(30 to 40 Yrs.)

Natalie Follett (GBR) 00:45:46; Laura May (GBR) 00:45:50; Amrita Mitra 00:47:28. 

(40 to 50 Yrs.)

Camilla Porling (SWE) 00:46:31; Vaishali Kasture 00:47:12; Maureen Enderby (GBR) 00:50:48.

(50 to 60 Yrs.)

Shamala Manmohan 00:59:40; Radha Krishnaswamy 00:59:44; Reeth Abraham 01:00:26.

(60 to 70 Yrs.)

Sharada Venkataraman 01:15:11; Githa Thimmaiah 01:18:29; Malini Kini 01:34:11.

CEO DASH:

Jignesh Bhate (CEO, Molecular Connections) 0:01:19

Sanjay Aggarwal (CEO, Unicel Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) 0:01:20

Rakesh Singh (MD, CITRIX Systems) 0:01:21

Kingfisher Bombaat Brigade:

Cupa Bangalore (Winner-Animal Welfare)

Think Tank (Think) (Runner up)

Kingfisher Sakkath Bangalorean:

Anand Raj (Winner-Helmet Safety)

Manas Kumar Mahapatra (1^st Runner up-General Elections 2014)

Shiva (2^nd Runner up-Women Empowerment)