Musa and Aiyabei target records at Grand 10 Berlin

[Newsroom]

Both course records are targeted at the ASICS Grand 10 Berlin. The 10 k road race in the centre of the German capital will take place on Sunday (11th October). Faustin Musa (Tansania) and Joan Aiyabei (Kenya) are the favourites. Organisers of the event have also included a non-elite 2x5 k relay and a mile race for children. They expect a record field of around 6,500 runners, making this one of the biggest 10 k races in Germany.

Tansania’s Faustin Musa is the favourite on Sunday. The 28 year-old has a personal best at 10 k of 28:22 minutes, which he established just little more than a month ago in Düsseldorf. The course record of the ASICS Grand 10 currently stands at 28:44 from Simon Kasimili (Kenya), who had won in 2008. Musa’s strongest rivals are likely to come from the Czech Republic and from Poland. Marcin Cabowski (Poland) has a PB of 28:27 minutes while Czech Jan Kreisinger has run 28:46. Robert Stefko is the Czech record holder at 10,000 m with 27:42.98 minutes. Though he has had his best time some years ago he is the reigning national cross country champion.

Germany’s marathon hope Falk Cierpinski will lead the national challenge in Berlin on Sunday. While middle distance runner Wolfram Müller will compete in a 10 k race for a change steeple chaser Steffen Uliczka will run his 10 k road race debut at the ASICS Grand 10 Berlin.

In the women’s race there is one big favourite: 30 year-old Kenyan Joan Aiyabei comes to Berlin with a 10 k personal best of 31:59 minutes. The present course record was established by European Marathon Champion Ulrike Maisch. The German had won with 34:53 minutes in 2008, a time which should be well broken by Joan Aiyabei on the fast course.