Ethiopia’s Bejiga returns to defend his tRUNsylvania 10K title in Brasov

Brasov, Romania, 17 September: — 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K winner Khairi Bejiga will return to Brasov on Sunday 4 October in a bid to break the course record of 26:51 set by Kenya’s Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli in 2022.

Last October, the unheralded Bejiga produced headlines around the running world with a superb winning effort of 26:54, the second fastest time ever on the course and the equal-third fastest mark of the year.

Just 19 at the time, Bejiga also equalled the fastest ever debut over the distance – which had been held uniquely by Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe from 2022 until Bejiga’s outing in Brasov – while it was also the second fastest performance ever by a U20 runner.

In 2026, Bejiga has improved his 10km personal best to 26:51, actually running that time on two occasions; firstly when finishing second in Valencia in January and then when winning in Lille in April, to increase the odds that the fastest 10km ever seen in Romania could be on the cards in little more than two weeks’ time.

Bejiga has not run a 10km since his French outing five months ago but improved his 5000m best on the track to 13:03.27 at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting last month.

Khairi Bejiga (ETH) coming home ahead of Maxime Chaumeton (RA) in the 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K credit: Chiara Montesano/Brasov Running Festival.

Top men

Men

Bejiga is the fastest man in the field, but Race Director Daniel Santa has assembled an outstanding elite field, including another four men who have personal bests under 27 minutes while six more have run under 27:30.

Santa has enticed back Maxime Chaumeton, who had a thrilling head-to-head duel with Bejiga until the last few hundred metres in 2025 before finishing in a South African record of 26:55.

Kenya’s Silas Senchura will come to Brasov boasting of a best of 26:58 after finishing fourth in the high-quality Castellon race in Spain earlier in the year, and he also took the African Championships 10,000m bronze medal on the track in May.

Ethiopia’s Kuma Girma ran 12:46.41 over 5000m and 26:58 for 10km on the roads in 2025. His 2026 campaign, solely conducted on the track so far, hasn’t been quite as spectacular, and he will be hoping to recover his best form in Brasov.

Kenya’s Laban Kosgei, eighth in the 2025 tRUNsylvania 10K, completes the contingent of sub-27 10km performers.

The 2026 African Championships 5000m bronze medallist improved his best time over that distance to 12:57.32 last month and also improved to 26:59 for 10km in Lille, France, in April.

Also among the elite men is Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale, who has only run 27:33 in his handful of outings on the road but has a track pedigree that saw him finish fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2021 Olympic Games and also at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships.

The leading men in the 2026 tRUNsylvania 10K, with their 10km personal bests (or 10,000m best on the track where they are making their 10km debut on the road) are:

“This is the sixth edition of the tRUNsylvania 10K as an international event and I believe it will be the best ever. In many respects, it has also been the easiest year in terms of assembling the elite fields as the demand was overwhelming. I would like to apologise to all the top-class athletes we had to refuse,.” commented Race Director Daniel Santa.

“Since starting in 2021, the tRUNsylvania 10K and the Brasov Running Festival as a whole has gained a significant international profile and now the world’s best runners know that our three-lap course produces quick times.

“If a runner is ready to run fast, here is the place to do it and I no longer need to convince the world’s best of that fact.

“I am slightly surprised that the course record has survived since 2022 but, although there are never any guarantees, I have a feeling that this year it will finally fall and maybe Khairi will be the first runner, man or woman, to win back-to-back titles here,” added Santa.

The tRUNsylvania 10K. a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race and the most prestigious 10km road race in southeast Europe, forms part of the two-day Brasov Running Festival which also features a series of community – incorporating children’s events and trail-to-road races – and national-level road races over various distances.

The famous Brasov Running Festival takes place annually against the backdrop of the spectacular Carpathian Mountains and close to the centre of the historic and picturesque Transylvanian city which has its origins in the 13th century.

The 2026 tRUNsylvania 10K will be streamed live with both Romanian and English commentary.

The women’s elite field for the 2026 tRUNsylvania 10K will be released next week.