The twenty-ninth edition of the Birell 10k Evening Run is scheduled for Saturday, September 5. At exactly 7:30 PM, more than 9,000 runners will set off into the streets of illuminated Prague to experience one of the year’s most popular races. The race carries the prestigious World Athletics Road Race Label award, which guarantees both high quality and an unforgettable experience. The route starts and finishes at Náměstí Republiky directly in front of the Municipal House and leads through Karlín, Rohanské nábřeží, and Svatopluk Čech Bridge up to the Straka Academy, returning along the Vltava river back to the finish line. However, the historical backdrop will not be the only thing making this year’s edition one of the year’s most anticipated running events. The true spectacle will take place at the very front of the starting field. The elite start list features 23 male and 21 female runners from 16 countries around the world and a total of 6 national record holders (Burundi, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, Czechia, Austria). Furthermore, the biggest star of this year’s edition, Rodrigue Kwizera, announced that under good conditions he plans to attack the European record as well.
Fastest Time of All Time and the Fight to Maintain the Spanish Record
Twenty-six-year-old distance runner and native of East African Burundi, Rodrigue Kwizera arrives in Prague as the absolute favorite. In May of this year, he caused an absolute sensation when he ran the fastest time of all time over 10 km in Madrid – 26:01 (however, the course does not meet the requirements for recognizing world records, making it an unofficial mark). Furthermore, the two-time winner and record holder of the Prague Half Marathon recently acquired Spanish citizenship, so the Prague 10k will be his first official international race under the Spanish flag. With an officially recognized personal best of 26:54, he is just 11 seconds shy of Yann Schrub’s current European record. Kwizera’s direct competitor will undoubtedly be Said Mechaal, one of Spain’s most prominent current distance runners, who at the beginning of the year in Valencia ran a time of 27:25, which is also the Spanish record. A tough battle for the position of national champion thus awaits these two countrymen.
The Absolute World Elite Steps Up
In the lead positions, we will also be able to follow Uruguayan distance runner, South American champion, and South American continental record holder, Santiago Catrofe. One of the most successful South American runners of today has a personal best of 27:16 in the road 10k and 1:00:21 in the half marathon. His rival will be Kenyan distance runner and rising star of the world road racing scene Victor Kipruto Kiprono, who set a new personal best of 27:10 last year in Castellón, Spain, or Dutch distance runner and holder of several national records Filmon Tesfu, with a personal best of 27:45 in the road 10k and 1:00:38 in the half marathon. Two Kenyans with very fast personal bests – Isaac Kibet Ndiema (KEN) 26:55 and Filex Kibet Masai (KEN) 27:24 – will certainly also want to fight for victory.
Battle for a Sub-30-Minute Time
In the women’s elite field, we can also find several famous names. In 2017, the Birell Grand Prix Prague became the first race in the world where women broke 30 minutes for a 10k, and breaking this barrier will be the goal this time as well. Kenyan distance runner Clare Chemtai Ndiwa already boasts a personal best under the magic 30-minute mark; she belongs to the upcoming generation of world road runners and finished third in Valencia in January with a time of 29:49. Her rival in the fight for victory will be Ethiopian Chaltu Dida Diriba, who ran a time of 29:50 in Castellón in February. However, Kenyan runner and former team mountain running world champion Purity Kajuju Gitonga is also close to the 30-minute mark, having crossed the finish line in 30:04 in Abbeville this June. German legend Konstanze “Koko” Klosterhalfen will also enter the battle for top positions as the most prominent European favorite. The European champion, World Championship bronze medalist, and German national record holder improved her personal best to 30:37 in Abbeville, France, this June.
Japanese Quartet Will Spice Up the Field
The starting field of the Birell 10k Evening Run will also be enriched by a quartet of high-quality Japanese male and female distance runners. Tomoya Ogikubo is among the prominent Japanese runners on distances ranging from 5 km to the half marathon. On the track, he has a personal record of 27:38 for 10,000 meters and 13:25 for 5,000 meters. In 2026, he also demonstrated his excellent form on the road by running 28:15 over 10 km in Laredo.
His compatriot Shunya Kikuchi is primarily a marathon specialist. A member of the Chugoku Electric Power team, he shone in 2025 with a performance of 2:06:06 at the Osaka Marathon, where he finished seventh. His participation will add another top-class Japanese distance runner with significant marathon experience to the field.
Japan will also have representation in the women’s race. Maki Izumida is among the experienced Japanese distance runners with strong performances in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Her 10k personal record of 32:08 places her among the TOP 20 fastest participants in this year’s edition and confirms the high level of the Japanese distance running school.
She will be joined by the talented Koharu Chugo, who, despite her young age, is already among the greatest hopes of Japanese running. This season, she improved significantly both on the track and on the road, holding a personal record of 32:44 in the 10k. In Prague, she will look to confirm her rise into the Japanese distance elite.
