By John Kwoba

NAIROBI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor said Wednesday he will seek for fast time in his bid to defend the World Half Marathon title he won first in 2014 in Copenhagen and 2016 in Cardiff.

"The world half is a special competition and I would like to go on to win as many as possible," he said.

The 10-man Kenyan team left Wednesday night to Valencia, Spain.

Alex Olitiptip, two-time Usti and Labem Half Marathon winner Barselius Kipyego, and relative newcomer Jorum Okombo, who ran 58:48 to finish second in Copenhagen last year, are in the team.

The women's team, which is led by Joyciline Jepkosgei, has a task cut out to emulate the performance of 2016 where Kenya won both gold and silver.

Jepkosgei was one of the sensations of the 2017 season, setting world records at 10km, 15km and 20km en route to her 1:04:52 world half marathon record in Prague.

Later in the year she took one second off that mark when winning in Valencia in a world record of 1:04:51.

Mary Wacera, the silver medallist in 2014 and bronze medalist in 2016 will be vying for her third successive podium finish.

Fancy Chemutai and Ruth Chepngetich, both of whom made big breakthroughs last year, are also on the team, along with Japan-based Pauline Kaveke.

A record entry of 300 athletes will contest the elite race.