Sunday20km de Paris 10 a.m

Long distance runner athlete Felicien Muhitira will make his debut at the 38th edition of the 20 Kilomètres de Paris (Paris 20 km) on Sunday where he’ll be seeking to maintain his impressive form.

The annual race, which holds IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status and always held in October since 1979, takes place on the streets of French capital, Paris, attracting top international athletes from around the world.

Muhitira will compete in the race just six days after winning the 98th edition of Sedan-Charleville race in record breaking time that had stood for 54 years, set by Norman Ameur, who had posted 1:11:08 in 1963.

The Rwandan athletes won the race in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 4 seconds hence becoming the second Rwandan athlete to win it after Dieudonné Disi (now retired), who won it in 2012 after clocking 1h:14’:12”.

A week before last week’s triumph, Muhitira, who races for Italian team Potenza Picenza, had finished fifth in the Le Lion Semi Marathon International after clocking 1 hour, one minute and 56 seconds to set a new personal best, besting his previous personal of 1:02’:31”.

"I feel ready though a bit nervous because race is very gruesome, with top athletes from different parts of the world participating, don’t forget that this will be my first appearance but I believe I can do it,” Muhitira Sunday Sport by phone from Paris on Saturday.

Disi remains the only Rwandan athlete to have won this race when he claimed it in 2009 after posting 59 minutes and 33 seconds.

Muhitira, 22, further noted that, "I will push for a gold medal so as to emulate Disi, who is my role model, in becoming the second Rwandan athlete to win this race.”

editorial@newtimes.co.rw