East African athletes will be tough to beat at inaugural World Road Running Champs on October 1 as the entries are revealed
From Angola and Australia to Uruguay and Ukraine, the inaugural World Road Running Championships have attracted entries from 350 athletes from 57 teams.
Faith Kipyegon, the world 1500m and 5000m champion and world record-holder, leads a strong Kenyan squad, while world half-marathon record-holder Jacob Kiplimo heads the Ugandan challenge.
Ethiopia, of course, is bringing a top-class team to the Latvian capital of Riga on October 1, too, including world 1500m silver medallist Diribe Welteji and world 5km record-holders Berihu Aregawi and Ejgayehu Taye as the athletes tackle races over one mile, 5km and the half-marathon.
Sadly Jakob Ingebrigtsen is not in the four-strong Norwegian team. The host nation of Latvia is also missing talent European under-20 champion Agate Caune due to a minor injury in its 14-strong squad.
Generally the event is being supported by teams from all around the world with the United States bringing 18 athletes, whereas 16 runners from Australia are making the long trip to Europe, 12 from Canada and nine from Japan.
The British team have a dozen athletes in Riga and you can see the team here.
Faith Kipyegon will start as strong favourite at the end of a stellar season that has seen her break world records for 1500m, one mile on the track and 5000m in addition to winning two world titles in Budapest. She is joined in the Kenyan team by Nelly Chepchirchir and world steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech.
World 1500m silver medallist Diribe Welteji will hope to challenge along with her Ethiopian team-mates Freyweyni Hailu and Mirut Meshesha.
Elsewhere, Jess Hull of Australia will aim to be in the mix while the US challenge includes rising star Addison Wiley.
Beatrice Chebet (Getty)
World cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet has enjoyed a superb track season and is joined in Riga by fellow Kenyans Lilian Rengeruk and Caroline Nyaga.
The Ethiopians are a force to be reckoned with, though, with Medina Eisa, Lemlem Hailu and mixed race world 5km record-holder Ejgayehu Taye.
Watch out for Ugandans Peruth Chemutai, Joy Cheptoyek and Prisca Chesang too.
Elsewhere, contenders include Nadia Battocletti of Italy, Nozomi Tanaka of Japan and Americans Emily Infeld and Weini Kelati.
Peres Jepchirchir (Dan Vernon)
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