NAIROBI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's World 5000m champion Hellen Obiri is not concerned with her lack of competition ahead of her first race in 2018 at the women's race in the Campaccio Cross Country on Saturday in Milan, Italy.
Obiri will face opposition from former world cross country champion Agnes Tirop and youngster Lilian Kasait while leading American marathon runner Desiree Linden is also set to compete.
"I have done well in training and I look forward to great performance in Italy," she said on Friday ahead of the race.
Top names in the men's race include Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo and European marathon record-holder Sondre Nordstad Moen from Norway while European U23 5000m champion Yemaneberhan Crippa is also likely to feature on home soil.
Obiri said she is under no pressure to prove her ability as she starts her journey, which will see her seek to recapture the gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March in the 3,000m race.
But returning to Milan will arouse the memories she exhibited here in winning in 2017. It is one year since Obiri smashed the Campaccio course record.
The world 5000m champion won the 2017 edition of the race by four seconds from fellow Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, the world and Olympic 1500m champion.
It marked the first of many victories for Obiri in 2017 as the 28-year-old went on to win the world and IAAF Diamond League titles for 5000m.
"That is why it is always important to start the season with endurance training and competition in cross country. It builds your muscles and preparedness. I hope it will be a good performance for me in Italy," she added.
In what looks set to be a high-quality race, Obiri will take on world 10,000m bronze medalist and 2015 world cross country champion Agnes Tirop of Kenya, two-time world U20 cross country champion Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, and world cross country bronze medallist Lillian Rengeruk of Kenya.
United States' Paul Chelimo leads the men's field. The Olympic 5000m silver medalist will line up alongside Norway's Sondre Nordstadt Moen, who recently broke the European marathon record with 2:05:48, and Italy's 2014 European marathon champion Daniele Meucci.
