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| Cluj Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 28 June: French marathon record holder Mekdes Woldu and Kenyan surprise package Cyrus Kimaiyo prevailed in hot conditions at the tRUNsylvania International 10K Cluj, powered by Joma, winning in 32:21 and 28:22 respectively on Sunday. Woldu prevailed in a thrilling three-way duel over the final kilometre of the four-lap race close to the centre of Cluj, outsprinting Uganda’s 2026 World Cross Country Championships silver medallist Joy Cheptoyek and Ethiopia’s near unknown Meselech Alemayehu. Cheptoyek was credited with the same time of 32:21, official timing showing she was just under half-a-second in arrears, while Alemayehu, making her European race debut, was one second further back. “I knew I was in good shape after running 30:56 two weeks ago (on home soil in Langueux, France) but I soon realised that fast times were not going to be possible because it was so hot at the start,” said Woldu, who reflected on the fact that the thermometer read 24 degrees Celsius as the gun went in Romania’s second city. “However the heat came as no surprise, it’s been hot everywhere in Europe this week and I wanted just wanted another good race so I’m pleased,” added the Frenchwoman, who wisely wore sunglasses throughout the race and had initially come to Cluj to attack the French 10km record of 30:52 set by Cassandre Beaugrand in April and which Woldu had just missed earlier this month. Woldu, Cheptoyek and Alemayehu, along with Kenya’s 2021 World U20 3000m steeplechase champion Jackline Chepkoech quickly separated themselves from the rest of the elite women’s field and went through 3km in 9:32. Chepkoech soon started to struggle but the other three went through 5km in 16:08. Woldu proves to be the master tactician Over the next two kilometres, Woldu cleverly went to the front and controlled the pace, marshalling her energy if the race came down to a sprint finish, a tactic which also allowed her compatriot Ines Hamoudi and the Irish pair of Fiona Everard and Naimh Allen to close the gap and for a short period make it a pack of six at the front. This group went through 8km in 26:06 before Woldu started to test her rivals. One-by-one, Everard, Allen and Hamoudi got detached but Woldu, Cheptoyek and Alemayehu were still together as they entered the Cluj Arena before the Frenchwoman found another gear over the final 100 metres.  By contrast, Kimaiyo was secure in the knowledge that the win was his over the final two kilometres.Kimaiyo, his fellow Kenyan Moses Cheruiyot and France’s Mehdi Frere went through the halfway point together in 14:04 but shortly afterwards the Frenchman – who had clocked a personal best of 27:44 in Langueux two weeks earlier – went through a bad patch and the race at the front became a head-to-head battle between the two Kenyans. Just before 8km, Cheruiyot visibly started to tire and Kimaiyo responded with a decisive surge and was never headed for the most important victory of his career. Cheruiyot came home a distant second in 28:51 while Frere closed the gap between himself and the man in front by 10 seconds over the final two kilometres but left himself just a little too much to do in the closing stages of the race and had to settle for third in 28:55. Men1. Cyrus Kimaiyo (KEN) 2. Moses Cheruiyot (NOR) 3. Mehdi Frere (FRA) 4. Juan Antonio Perez (ESP)5. Eyob Faniel (ITA) 6. Alexandru Soare (ROU)7. Noah Shutte (NED)8. Filmon Tesfu 9. Seare Weldezghi (ART/ERI) 10. Esteban Patino (ESP) Women 1. Mekdes Woldu (FRA) 2. Joy Cheptoyek (UGA) 3. Meselech Alemayehu (ETH) 4. Ines Hamoudi (FRA)5. Niamh Allen (IRL) 6. Fiona Everard (IRL) 7. Julie Voet (BEL)8. Maor Tiyouri (ISR) 9. Jackline Chepkoech (KEN) 10. Nursena Ceto (TUR) 28:2228:51 28:5529:21 29:41 29:49 30:02 30:05 30:11 30:46 32:3132:31 32:33 32:4132:4832:49 33:0333:0733:16 33:18  Complete elite race results are here:https://liniadesosire.ro/rezultate/cluj-running-festival-2026 Live streaming in English and Romanian The tRUNsylvania International 10K Cluj 2026 streamed live with English-language commentary via the European Athletics YouTube channel and is also available with Romanian commentary via the event website: www.clujrun.ro ThetRUNsylvania International 10K Cluj 2026 is a World Athletics Elite Label Race and was part of the inaugural Cluj Running Festival, powered by Joma, which took place throughout the weekend of 27-28 June and saw approximately 2500 runners take part in various children’s, community and mass participation races. The embedded Images of tRUNsylvania International 10K Cluj 2026 winners Mekdes Woldu and Cyrus Kimaiyo are free to download and rights-free by a credit to the Cluj Running Festival would be appreciated. (Higher resolution versions can be provided upon request.) |