Running: RUBEN CHEBII AND EMILIE MONDOR CONFIRMED TO LEAD ELITES - IN SPORTING LIFE 10K, MAY 7TH

Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:19 PM

TORONTO:

Organizers today confirmed that defending champion and course record holder, Kenyan Reuben Chebii, is confirmed to return to "Canada's fastest 10k" next Sunday, May 7th.

Chebii will be joined on the start line by Canadian Olympian Emilie Mondor, who is favoured to take this year's women's title.

Chebii, who has won the Sporting Life 10k each of the last 2 years-- in 28:41 last year and a sizzling course-record of 27:48 in 2004-- is in fine form this Spring, coming off strong outings in the prestigious Azalea Trail 10K and Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on the US circuit. In both races he placed 3rd, in 28:35 at Azalea [Mobile, AL, March 25th], and 47:39 at Cherry Blossom [Washington, DC, April 2nd].

This year's Sporting Life 10K should see a fine duel, and a re-match, between Chebii and fellow-Kenyan Philip Lagat, who edged him by half-a-stride in Mobile, though both were clocked in 28:35. Lagat then placed 2nd again at the Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond on April 1st, in 29:32, avoiding Chebii who was racing at Cherry Blossom the next day.

Adding to the excitement, will be Canada Running Series stars Giitah Macharia of St. Catharines and Danny Kassap of Toronto who placed a close second and third to Kenyan Samuel Ndereba in last Sunday's 21kmtl Montreal Half Marathon-- and it was Ndereba who edged out Chebii and Lagat for the victory at Azalea Trail.

Montreal's Algerian-Canadians, Nourredine Betchim and Bagdad Rachem, who placed 4th and 6th at 21kmtl, are also expected to be in the lead pack this Sunday, that charges down Yonge Street from Castlefield [above Eglinton] to Roundhouse Park, behind the Rogers Centre.

Mascouche, Quebec's Emilie Mondor will be the story as well as the star of the women's field. As Mondor outlines on her own website, she has been out of competitive running for the past several months, suffering from a rare type of bone disease, cause by an inability to properly absorb calcium, that has reduced her bone density.

http://www.emiliemondor.com/newsarticles/english/MiracleandreturnforEmilieM.html

The Canadian Olympian, who represented her country in the 5,000m at Athens, and has clocked a world-class time of 31:10 for the distance on the roads, was at one point despairing of ever returning to top level in the sport she loves so much. However, an experimental new treatment has hastened her recovery, and she is set to re-emerge on the comeback trail in the Sporting Life 10K.