World champion Limo wins Kenya cross country race
Reuters
23 February 2002  -Nairobi, Kenya - World 5000-metres champion Richard Limo sprinted the home stretch to win the 12-km men’s race in the Kenyan national cross country championships on Saturday.

Limo was with the leading group which included Albert Chepkurui, Wilson Talel, Enock Mitei and Paul Kosgei, for most of the race.

The world champion controlled the pace, with Chepkurui and Talel holding on in his wake until the bell rang when he speeded ahead.

Chepkurui stayed with him but when the runners reached the final stretch, Limo unleashed his characteristic spring that left his rivals gasping.

He won in 36 minutes 17 seconds while Chepkurui followed in 36:19. Charles Kamathi, who was third at last year’s world championships in Belgium and is the world 10,000 metres champion, finished fifth in 36:49, behind Enock Mitei who crossed the line in 36:42.

“In the absence of (five-time world champion) Paul Tergat, I knew the race wouldn’t be so tough, yet it wasn’t that easy either. This is the first step, and my eyes are on the world title which we have missed for two years,” Limo said.

Former world half-marathon champion Paul Koech finished 13th and had few words to express his disappointment.

“It was just a bad day for me. I can’t talk further,” Koech said. After returning from a two-year injury absence to win the Armed Forces cross country title two weeks ago, Koech was widely touted as the possible successor to Tergat.

The championships were held under a downcast sky and occasional drizzle and witnessed several upsets.

Two former world four-km champions, John Kibowen and Benjamin Limo, suffered the biggest defeats of their careers in that event on Saturday.

Kibowen, who won the world title in 1998 and 2000, finished in 36th position while Limo, the winner of the world title in 1999, was 16th. They attributed their defeats to ill health.

The four-km race was won by Sammy Kipketer, who timed 11 minutes 17 seconds, ahead of Joseph Kosgei (11:21) and reigning world champion Enock Koech.

Wincatherine Ndereba, the holder of the world best time in the marathon, suffered an upset in the senior women’s eight-km race when she finished 15th.

The race, won by Pamela Chepchumba in 27:13, saw New York Marathon champion Margaret Okayo finish 12th. Susan Chepkemei, winner of the Rotterdam Marathon last year and holder of the world’s best half-marathon time, was fifth in 27:47.

“It was a very fast race which, as a marathon runner, I couldn’t cope with,” Ndereba, twice winner in both the Boston and Chicago marathons, said.

World bronze medallist Edith Masai easily won the women’s four-km race, crossing in 13 minutes three seconds.

World junior women’s champion Viola Kibiwott was beaten in the six-km race by Frida Domongole, who was seventh in the world cross last year.

Domongole won in 20:05, with former world champion Vivian Cheruiyot coming second in 20:06 and Kibiwott following in 20:07.

Leading Results:

Men (12 km race)

  1. Richard Limo   36 minutes 17 seconds

  2. Albert Chepkurui       36:19

  3. Wilson Talel           36:22

  4. Enock Mitei            36:42

  5. Charles Kamathi        36:49

  6. James Kipketer         36:50

  7. Hosea Kogo             36:54

  8. Paul Kosgei            37:02

  9. John Kipsani           37:03

 10. Daniel Kirui           37:07

Women (8 km race)

  1. Pamela Chepchumba      27:13

  2. Jepkorir Ayabei        27:23

  3. Monica Wangare         27:33

  4. Jane Omoro             27:38

  5. Susan Chepkemei        27:47

  6. Margaret Adudonya      27:50

  7. Agnes Kiprop           27:55

  8. Leah Malot             27:57

  9. Jane Nyambura          28:09

 10. Magdaline Chemjor      28:15