Obiri headlines San Silvestre Road race

Two-time world 5000m champion and Olympic silver medallist Hellen Obiri will be the star act in the women's 10km race at the 57th San Silvestre Vallecana, a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race set for Friday.

Possibly the most prestigious of the myriad of New Year's Eve races around the world, the race will return to its usual circuit on 31 December after a change last year because of the pandemic.

The women’s race on the slightly downhill 10km point-to-point course, which starts alongside the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium of Real Madrid and finishes on the pitch of another Spanish first division club, Rayo Vallecano, in the Madrid suburbs, has Obiri as the athlete to beat.

Obiri finished second in Madrid in 2018 after a thrilling battle with her fellow Kenyan and current world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei.

Her outstanding 29:59 time then proved not enough to take the victory, but the 32-year-old will be eager to claim victory in Madrid for the first time on her opening appearance this winter.

Yet the reigning world cross country champion Obiri will face tough opposition provided Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw, 10 years her junior competes.

Azimeraw is an accomplished road specialist, having recorded the second quickest ever marathon debut when she won in Amsterdam in 2:19:26 in 2019 to also break the course record in the Dutch city.

After another fine performance over the classic distance of 2:19:56 for sixth in Valencia in 2020, the Ethiopian moved to 11th on the world all-time list last October following her runner-up spot in London in a big lifetime best of 2:17:58.

Azemiraw boasts a relatively modest 31:03.32 10,000m clocking set in Hengelo a couple of years ago. The NN Running Team athlete will be joined by her teammates Lonah Salpeter of Israel and Haven Hailu from Ethiopia.

The 33-year-old Salpeter holds the European 10km record with a 30:05 time to her credit set in Tilburg in 2019, one year after she won the European 10,000m title in Berlin.

She attempted to land an Olympic marathon medal in Sapporo, remaining in a four-unit leading pack until the 36th kilometre, but some stomach problems ultimately hampered her aspirations.

After that disappointment, Salpeter bounced back eight weeks later to place fifth at the London Marathon in her second quickest time of 2:18:54, not particularly far from her career best of 2:17:45 run in Tokyo in 2020 which makes her the eighth fastest woman in history.

Watch out too for the 23-year-old Hailu, as she was an unheralded distance runner until this year but clocked 2:20:19 for third in Amsterdam in October. She will compete in the company of her fellow Ethiopian Likina Amebaw Ayel, a 32:20 performer.

Additional reporting by World Athletics