Singapore-based Suzy Walsham to challenge elite African runners at Women 10K this weekend

By Les Tan

Runners will get to catch Kenyan runner Anitha Kiptum this Sunday competing against elite Singapore-based runners in the Women 10K. The race was won last year by Leah Malot, also of Kenya, in a time of 33 minutes 46.30 seconds. Kiptum’s personal best time of 32min 12sec set in Hamburg, Germany suggests she may break the race and Asian record that Malot set last year.

Singapore-based Australian, Suzy Walsham, who came in second last year and was the winner of the inaugural race in 2006, will be in action this Sunday. Suzy went to the United States and placed first in the Empire State Building Run-up in February this year and then followed it up with another first place finish in record time at the Orchard Mile in June. That was followed by a first place finish at the Shape 10k in a time of 35min 18sec and then a second place finish at the Bali 10k.

Said Suzy, who is injury-free at the moment: “I did a personal best time of 34:11 for a 10k in Bali in early August, and my preparation was quite limited. I have trained pretty hard since then, although I missed two weeks of training in early August due to travel, so I am hoping to break 34 mins for the first time.”

After Sunday’s run, she has lined up three more races – the Swissotel Vertical Marathon, the Shape Women’s Run in Bangkok and the Standard Chartered Half Marathon. The half marathon is her first competitive half marathon attempt.

10,000 runners between 13 and 82 years of age will run in the women-only 10km race on Sunday which starts at the Esplanade. Seven women members of parliament will also run in aid of cancer charities to raise funds.