With focus on Beijing, Kiplagat set for track return in Istanbul on Saturday

Two-time World Road Running champion Lornah Kiplagat will return to the track for the first time in nearly a year at this weekend’s 12th European Cup 10,000m in Istanbul, Turkey.

The 33-year-old Dutchwoman bypassed an attempt to defend her World Cross Country title in Edinburgh last month, she said, to focus on this summer’s Olympic Games.

A year ago, Kiplagat’s focus was the 10,000m at the World Championships in Osaka, but a calf injury sustained in May was serious enough to curtail her training and sideline her from Osaka.

But she bounced back in dominating fashion in October to win her second consecutive World Road Running title in Udine, Italy, with a 1:06:25 World record over the Half Marathon course.

After pulling out about midway through the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon with a mild calf strain, her momentum continued at the World’s Best 10K in San Juan where she collected her sixth victory and again in late February with a victory at the Zayed International Half Marathon (1:08:52) where she pocketed a cool $300,000.

Her last appearance over the distance on the track came at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, where, after controlling the tempo from the outset, Kiplagat finished fifth in 30:37.26 in what was the fastest and deepest race of that season.

Racing at home, Abeylegesse poses fiercest challenge

But the race in the Turkish capital will be more than merely a chase for the Olympic qualifying standard; indeed it will be a solid competitive test for the Kenyan-born Kiplagat.

Also toeing the line will be Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse, the former World 5000m record holder and the reigning World Championships silver medallist at 10,000m.

The 25-year-old Ethiopian-born Turk, who also finished fifth in the 5000m in Osaka, has race only once since, finishing third behind Kiplagat in San Juan. In 2008, Abeylegesse will be looking for her first major global title in Beijing after injury woes have kept her from prime fitness in other appearances. After setting the World 5000m record at the 2004 Golden League opener in Bergen, Norway, injury problems arose which prevented her from not only being a major factor in Athens, but limiting her race appearances to just four low-key races in 2005. At the 2006 European Championships, an Achilles tendon injury forced her to drop out of the 10,000m, but she came back valiantly to take the bronze in the 5000m.

Abeylegesse has competed well at this race, winning each of her two previous appearances. In 2006, she clocked a national record of 30:21.67 –the fastest performance in the world that year—in miserable conditions in Antalya, and last year won by near 35 seconds in 31:25.15 .

The solid women’s field also includes Kiplagat’s cousin Hilda Kibet, who will arrive in Istanbul on the heels of her solid fifth place finish at the World Cross Country Championships. Hungary's Road Race specialist Anikó Kálovics, Portugal’s former Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro are also on the slate.

Spaniards atop the men's field

With only three in the field boasting sub-28 minute credentials, the men’s race will provide a key Beijing qualifying opportunity.

Those three all come from Spain, and the trio - Juan Carlos de la Ossa, Ayad Lamdassem, and José Ríos – will start as favourites.

De la Ossa, who set his 27:27.80 career best with his victory in this race in 2005, was the bronze medallist over the distance at the 2005 European Championships, and has kept busy this season on the Cross Country circuit, most recently finishing 24th at the World Championships.

Pacesetters will be provided to assist runners to achieve the Beijing qualifying standards: For men, 'A' standard of 27:50.00 and 'B' standard of 28:10.00; and for women, 'A' standard of 31:45.00 and 'B' standard of 32:20.00