Burka and Edris win Ethiopian 10,000m Trials in Hengelo
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – It may have been just her second race at the distance, but Gelete Burka tackled the 10,000m in Hengelo as though she had been running it all of her life, winning the Ethiopian World Championships trial race in a world-leading 30:49.68.
Muktar Edris – who, like Burka, was tackling the 10,000m for just the second time in his career – won the men’s race in 2:27.18, booking his spot on Ethiopia’s team for the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015.
The lead pack in the women’s race was paced through 5000m in 15:33. Burka was one of nine Ethiopians in the group along with Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat, the world half-marathon record-holder. They passed through 7000m in 21:46, but Kiplagat dropped out soon after.
About one kilometre later, the lead pack had been reduced to seven athletes: Burka, world junior 5000m champion Alemitu Heroye, world 10,000m bronze medallist Belaynesh Oljira, 2010 Dubai Marathon champion Mamitu Daska, 2009 world 10,000m bronze medallist Wude Ayalew, world cross-country bronze medallist Netsanet Gudeta and Ethiopian cross-country champion Genet Yalew.
Wude tried to attack with three laps remaining, but all seven athletes were still close together at 9000m. In the end, Burka proved to have the better finish, kicking away from the rest of the field to win in a stadium record of 30:49.68.
Read more at: IAAF.org
