BRASOV, Romania, Oct 5 – Kenyans had to settle for podium finishes at the tRUNsylvania 10K that was won by Ethiopians Khairi Bejiga and Medina Eisa in the men’s and women’s races respectively on Sunday.
Kenya’s Cornelius Kemboi improved his personal best by 28 seconds, crossing the line in 27:12 to finish third.
Ethiopian teenager Bejiga stole the headlines with a superb and unexpected winning effort of 26:54.
Just 19, Bejiga equalled the fastest ever debut over the distance – uniquely held by Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe from the 2022 Herzogenaurach race in Germany until Bejiga’s outing in the Romania city of Brasov – and also posted the second fastest time ever by an U20 runner.
Into the bargain, Bejiga produced the second fastest time ever on the super-quick three-lap Brasov circuit, just missing the 26:51 course record held by Kenya’s Nicolas Kipkorir since 2022.
Running aggressively and confidently from the start, Bejiga was to the fore of a large leading pack in the early stages of the race before stepping on the accelerator just after four kilometres and producing a 2:38 kilometre split between the fourth and fifth kilometre, reaching the halfway point in 13:34 along with another eight men.
With a negative split for the second half of the race anticipated, the predicted finishing time was around the 27-minute mark and Bejiga and continued to push the pace over the next two kilometres, with South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton also helping out with the work at the front.
Gradually, Bejiga and Chaumeton’s rivals dropped away before the young Ethiopian surged again at around the eight kilometres, throwing in a 2:37 penultimate kilometre which the more experienced South African couldn’t match.
Bejiga crossed the line in 26:54, falling to his knees in exhaustion and delight with Chaumeton digging deep to close over the last few hundred metres before finishing just a single second in arrears, coming home in a South African record of 26:55.
-Kenya Settle For Second In Women’s Race-
A big group of 10 women including the pacemakers went through the halfway point in 15:14 which unforunately meant that the race organiser’s ambitions of the first sub-30 minute clocking on Romanian roads might prove to be a bit of a tall order.
With 2km to go, a group of five were still together – Eisa, the Kenyan trio of Brenda Jepchumba Kenei, Mariam Lufti Njoki and Joyciline Jepkosgei along with Turkey’s former multiple European champion Yasemin Can – with Kenei and Njoki pushing the pace and Eisa looking very comfortable on their shoulders covering every surge by the duo at the front.
As the pace increased over the final kilometre, former 10km world record holder Jepkosgei was the first to break with 600 metres to go, following quickly by Can.
With 300 metres to the finish line, Eisa made her move and darted past her two Kenyan opponents before pulling away with a decisive turn of speed, clocking 2:58 for the last kilometre, to remain unbeaten on the roads in 2025.
Eisa, the 2025 10km world leader with her time of 29:25 in Castellon, Spain in February, also got partial compensation for a disappointing 13th place finish in the World Athletics Championships 5000m just over two weeks ago.
Following Eisa home, Kenei outsprinted Njoki for second place with the pair clocked at 30:29 and 30:31 respectively while Can missed out on the podium in fourth but set a Turkish national record of 30:36.
The leading results in the 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K – the only 2025 World Athletics Elite Label Road Race over 10km in Europe and the most prestigious 10km road race in southeast Europe – are:
Men
Khairi Bejiga (ETH) 26:54 PB
Maxime Chaumeton (RSA) 27:55 NR
Cornelius Kibet Kemboi (KEN) 27:12 PB
Victor Kiprono (KEN) 27:18
Vincent Kipkorir (KEN) 27:26
Amos Kipkirui Langat (KEN) 27:32
Daniel Kosen (KEN) 27:35
Laban Kosgei (KEN) 27:35 PB
Amos Kipkemei (KEN) 27:42
Selemon Atakiti Kidanu (ETH) 27:58
Women
Medina Eisa (ETH) 30:28
Brenda Jepchumba Kenei (KEN) 30:29 PB
Mariam Lufti Njoki (KEN) 30:31 PB
Yasemin Can (TUR) 30:36 NR
Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 30:41
Faith Cherono (KEN) 30:52
Samiyah Hassan Nour (DJI) 31:02
Brenda Jepchirchir (KEN) 31:10 PB
Mary Ekiru (KEN) 31:29 PB
Aisia Cheptengeny (KEN) 32:02 PB
