MADRID, 30 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The athlete Mohamed Katir will be one of the hopes of the Spanish representation in the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana, which will be held this Saturday, a race that he won in the last edition and in which he will be a “rival” of the Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, which it means that he is “doing something very big”.
The San Silvestre Vallecana presented this Friday at the runner’s Fair to its payroll of most outstanding athletes for the International test, with the presence of Cheptegei’s own, Dan Kibet, Mohamed Katir, Fernando Carro and Carlos Mayo, in the men’s category; and Francine Niyonsaba, Tsehay Gemechu, Beatrice Chepkoech, Laura Priego and Laura Luengo in the women’s category.
Last year, the man from Mula became the first national athlete to win the traditional men’s event since Chema Martínez from Madrid did it in 2003, after clearly surpassing his rivals, with the best Spanish record in history (27: Four. Five). “It will be my third San Silvestre, it’s amazing to run this beautiful race,” he acknowledged during the ceremony.
“I’m not a long-distance athlete yet, it’s incredible that you say that I have a rivalry with Cheptegei, it means that I’m doing something very big,” he said. “I come better than last year, with enough resistance, I hope to hold the first five kilometers to Cheptegei”, he wished between laughs.
For the runner-up in Europe in the 5,000 and bronze medal in the 1,500 World Cup event in Eugene (United States) he confessed that if La Vallecana’s pace “drops below 27 minutes, I would be unable to hold him (Cheptegei)”. “But around 27:30, 27:40, I could hold him, if he sets the test record it will be impossible,” he admitted.
Katir will have to fight with the other world middle-distance runner of the moment, the also Ugandan Dan Kibet -two finalist places in 5,000 meters in the Under-20 World Cups-, who explained that, at 18 years old, he will run the San Silvestre Vallecana “to gain experience”. , in his first time in a 10-kilometer test on asphalt. “I’m confident to run around 28 minutes, it would be fine,” he set himself the goal.
The current Spanish 10,000 meter champion, Carlos Mayo, who “finally” will run the legendary Madrid event, was also present at the event. “I really wanted to end the year here. Losing 28 minutes won’t be enough to be the best Spaniard. My goal is to give my maximum and do my best”, he commented. “I have respect for him, even fear of the final stretch. The times are a bit dizzying. My form is good, I have trained normally and I am going to get better. It is hard, but we are made to suffer,” he added about his options.
Nor will the San Silvestre Vallecana be missed, which is already a ‘classic’ of the event Fernando Carro, three times national champion of 3,000 obstacles, current Spanish half-marathon champion and national record holder of 3,000 obstacles. He missed the last edition due to injury and on his return to Madrid he will seek to improve the seventh place of 2015 and the 27:46 that he marked in 2020 in Alcobendas. “The podium is super difficult, we will have to be up to the task”, he commented.
NIYONSABA, GEMECHU AND CHEPKOECH, FAVORITE IN WOMEN’S CATEGORY
The organization also presented the main athletes who will fight for victory in the streets of Madrid. One of them will be Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech, world champion and world record holder over 3,000 obstacles, as well as Diamond League champion. “I’ve been preparing for this race, it won’t be easy, but I’ll try to put in a good performance. I’ll try to improve my best time,” she said, with her compatriot Brigid Kosgei’s record (29:54) on the horizon.
The Burundian Francine Niyonsaba arrives as Olympic runner-up in Rio 2016 and world runner-up in 2017, as well as two-time indoor world champion, all in 800 meters. She now faces her second test in the 10K, for which she has “trained a lot.” “It’s my first time in Madrid, I know it’s a ‘top’ race, I’ll try to do my best. I always believe in myself, it’s not easy to adapt to long distances, I hope to do my best mark”, she pointed out.
The trio of hopefuls for victory in Madrid is completed by the Ethiopian Tsehay Gemechu, with the intention of continuing the positive dynamics of her country in the event, after the victories in the last two editions of Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Degitu Azimeraw.
The Spanish ‘armada’ will be led by Laura Priego and Laura Luengo. La Alcorconera finished sixth in the last edition and was the best Spaniard, although she acknowledged that “it will be difficult to repeat”. “It was a super nice experience, it was my first International. I enjoyed the ‘ambience’, it was incredible. You have to come out with your head, you will have to dose yourself a bit,” she analyzed. For her part, Luengo, who already ran the test in 2020 signing a tenth place (33:42), stated that she was “in very good shape”.
Finally, the general director of Sports of the Madrid City Council, Alicia Martín, highlighted that “it is a special year for popular sport”. “This race and the success it has is a satisfaction for the City Council”, she stressed, before commenting that “it is the first time that the mayor of Madrid has run in the San Silvestre Vallecana”. “I have told him that this race is for fun, you don’t have to look at the clock, you have to enjoy the ‘great atmosphere’ that there is,” she concluded.