00:00 The Eastern Credit Union 5K and 15K races are on this Sunday.
00:05 Some of this country's top distance runners are expected to feature in both events which
00:10 were sold out.
00:11 However, it's the 15K that holds the greater attention this time around.
00:15 Nicholas Romany is returning as the defending champion.
00:19 He will be up against familiar foes in Tafari Waldron and Kenyan Alex Ikisa.
00:24 It's not going to be a clear-cut road to victory though for Romany.
00:28 Lately, 18-year-old Waldron and 41-year-old Ikisa have closed the gap on the 29-year-old.
00:35 Waldron has had a sensational run of form leading up to the Karifter Games and during
00:40 the tournament as well.
00:42 He broke the under-20 record for the 5,000-meter race at the Karifter Trials with a mesmerizing
00:48 sub-15 performance (14 minutes, 57.95 seconds).
00:54 And he took down Romany as well earlier this year in the 3,000-meter race.
00:59 There's just one thing holding Waldron back now, and that's a bout with shin splints.
01:04 Waldron has reportedly been recovering from the injury and time will tell if he's able
01:09 to challenge for the top spot in his current form.
01:13 It leaves the door open for Marathon King Colin Pereira and others to surprise everyone.
01:18 If the previous race foreshadows the result on Sunday, then Romany is still the man to
01:24 beat.
01:25 He won the Diamond Dash 5K this past Sunday when the three athletes competed.
01:30 The results coming out of Odyssey Timing revealed Romany won the race in 14 minutes, 46 seconds.
01:36 Ikisa, who is still the only man to beat Romany on local soil in the past two years on the
01:42 road, finished just a second behind.
01:46 Romany was third in 15 minutes, 35 seconds.
01:50 Before that, the two raced at the Run Stephen Run 5K, where once again Romany produced a
01:55 sub-15 5K to get the better of the Kenyan by three seconds.
02:01 Romany's coaches believe that he is in fact in sub-15 form, which is a problem for his
02:06 competitors.
02:07 The course for the Eastern Credit Union 15K starts at the La Jolla Complex, Eastern Main
02:11 Road, St. Joseph, and it takes runners to Five Rivers Junction before they return to
02:16 La Jolla Complex.
02:18 Many describe the course as undulating but fast.
02:21 But just how fast is the question for Sunday, and is speed going to be the factor that wins
02:26 this race?
02:28 Race time is at 5am.
02:29 The winner gets $6,000.
02:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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