Posted: August 31, 2005

Athletics: Shaheen, Mottram, Kipchoge To Face-Off In Bupa 3000 Road Race

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

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Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the world's top steeplechase specialist of the past three seasons, tops a high caliber field at the BUPA 3000 meter road race on Saturday, September 17 in Newcastle, England, organizers announced today.

Shaheen, the former Kenyan Stephen Cherono who now represents Qatar, won his second consecutive world title in the steeplechase earlier this month in Helsinki, and just last weekend clocked the third fastest performance ever in the event at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels.

The 22-year-old Shaheen will face Australian Craig Mottram, the bronze medallist in the world championships 5000, along with Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, the 2003 5000 meter world champion, who finished just eight one-hundredths of a second behind Mottram in Helsinki. In Brussels, Kipchoge won the 5000 in 12:50.22, surviving a strong challenge from Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri.

"It has the makings of a classic race and I wouldn't like to tip the winner," said Matthew Turnbull, the meeting's elite athletics director.

The women's race features Isabella Ochichi, the Olympic 5000 meter silver medallist, Briton Jo Pavey, American Amy Rudolph, and Kim Smith of New Zealand. In Brussels last Friday, Ochichi lowered her personal best in the 5000 to 14:38.21.

The 3000 meter races were added to the program this year to accompany the road mile races.

The men's mile features defending champion Ivan Heshko, Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, American champion Alan Webb, Olympic and world championships bronze medallist Rui Silva, and Michael East, Great Britain's top miler. The elite field for the women's mile will be announced later this week.

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