Spain’s Trihas Gebre will defend her title at the 20th European 10,000m Cup in Mersin, Türkiye on 5 June.
Twelve months on from her superb victory in Chia-Pula, she will spearhead a strong women’s squad in Türkiye in one of the biggest individual events ahead of this summer’s major championships.
Gebre, 25, ended last year sixth on the European Athletics rankings after her performance in Sardinia where she took the title in 32:14.94, winning by almost 18 seconds in a race where she was too quick for the reigning European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey of Great Britain who was seventh (33:18.80).
Gebre should be among the main contenders for the 10,000m at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam a month later and earlier this month in Maia, she won over the distance in 32:14.25.
She will be joined in the squad by Sonisa Bejarano, Tania Carretero, Judit Pla, Gema Martin and Lidia Rodriguez, a year after Spain were second in the team event behind Britain.
The Spanish men are led by Euro Cross specialist Alemayehu Bezabeh as well as Carles Castillejo and Ayad Lamdassem.
But they could have a tough task on their hands if in front of the home crowd, Türkiye’s Polat Kemboi Arikan bids to win the title for a fourth time.
He triumphed in Chia-Pula in 28:09.47 as Spain, like their women, won team silver, from Italy.
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