Rwanda’s fast rising long distance runner, Sylvain Rukundo faces the toughest test of his career when he battles world’s best athletes in the Rak half marathon this afternoon in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Rukundo, 20 will be using this race as part of his preparations for the World Cross-country Championships due March 28 in Amman, Jordan.

The Police Athletics Club runner, who has only started participating in international competitions this year, is determined to put up an impressive show in the star-studded Jordan event. He hopes the Abu Dhabi race will keep him in competition mood with just about a month left to the world cross-country.

"I know it’s going to be very tough. I have competed only once on the international scene this year and this is good for me ahead of the Jordan event,” Rukundo said early this week before departing for Abu Dhabi.

Early this month, the National Police serviceman finished 14th in his debut international half marathon debut clocking 1:06:07 in the San Blas half marathon in Puerto Rico.

He becomes the second Rwandan athlete to take part in this Iaaf Silver Label status race after Dieudonne Disi, who finished 8th last year in the same event.

The 10km road race will feature some of the world’s best athletes Kenya’s now Olympic Marathon Champion Samuel Wanjiru, Patrick Makau, Ethiopian Deriba Merga, Wilson Kipsang and Abel Kirui.

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