Prisca Jepleting (centre - Fila vest) - 2003 North Rift Valley Champs (© Omulo Okoth)
Kericho, KenyaTwentythreeyearold David Ogato convincingly won the 12km race at the fifth Athletics Kenya Cross Country meeting in this southern Rift Valley Provincial town today (Sat 18) in a race that brought with it memories of Kenya's former global cross country face.
Ogato, second in the fourth AK weekend meeting in Kisii early this month, broke from the pack after two kilometres with second-placed Linus Chumba in tow. The duo ran together for 11 kilometres, when Ogato engaged his sprint kick, to which Chumba failed to respond, and easily sauntered to victory in 36:56. Chumba clocked 37:14.
"I am training hard to make the Kenyan team for next year's World Cross Country Championships. Although, I am more comfortable at the marathon, I am also running cross country with an eye for a national team place," said Ogato.
Past glories
But the most interesting element of this race was the nostalgic moments it evoked with members of former indomitable national cross country teams Dominic Kirui, Kiptum Muigei and William Koech taking on the current generation of Kenyan cross country artists.
Koech, a member of the World Cross Country Championships gold medal winning team in Antwerp in 1991, finished 64th. Kirui, who raced alongside greats like former five-time World champion John Ngugi for years, was 72nd.
Muigei, who belonged to the generation of another former five-time World champion Paul Tergat and double World champion William Sigei, was 40th.
Mathew Birir, who won the 1992 Olympic 3000m Steeplechase gold was 43rd while David Chelule, World Junior race winner in Cape Town in 1996 and third in Durham the previous year, was 11th.
Jepleting's Jackpot chance
Prisca Jepleting, 11th in the World Cross short 4km race in Lausanne in 2003, kept her Jackpot ambitions on course with a 13:55 victory in the short race. She won in Kisii and hopes to win in Eldoret on 8 January, and at the National Championships in February.
Jepleting ran virtually alone for half the race but the presence of last year's Paris City Marathon champion Beatrice Omwanza and veteran road racer Jane Omoro gave the race a competitive edge. Omwanza, fourth in the Berlin Marathon this year, finished third in 14:20, while Omoro was fifth in 14:28.
Another Jackpot candidate who survived this undulating course which crosses tea plantations outside this agriculturally-rich town to win his second race, was Hosea Macharnyang who won the junior men's race in 24:29. He awaits the Eldoret meeting before staking a claim on the Jackpot in Nairobi in February.
Eunice Jepkorir, seventh in Brussels World Cross last March, won the senior women's long race in 28:41.5.
Omulo Okoth (The Standard) for IAAF
Results -
MEN
4KM
1 Robert Sigei 12:02
2 Bernard Kok 12:07
3 Paul Langat 12:09
4 Henry Sugut 12:16
5 Edwin Koech 12:17
8KM Junior
1 Hosea Macharnyang 24:29
2 Isaiah Koskei 24:44
3 Christopher Boit 24:48
4 Mike Kigen 24:52
5 Patrick Langat 24:55
12KM Senior
1 Benson Ogato 36:56
2 Linus Chumba 37:14
3 David Chepterit 37:42
4 James Rotich 37:50
5 David Kirui 37:56
10KM Road Race
1 David Koech 29:40
2 Moses Chepkwony 30:28
3 Philip Kirui 30:34
4 David Komo 30:45
5 Philip Korir 30:59
WOMEN
4KM Senior
1 Priscah Jepleting 13:551
2 Beatrice Jepchumba 14:14
3 Beatrice Omwanza 14:20
4 Emily Chebet 14:25
5 Jane Omoro 14:28
6KM Junior
1 Jebichi Yator 21:09
2 Gladys Chemweno 21:12
3 Zeddy Cheboi 21:44
4 Emmy Chekirui 21:48
5 Sharon Anisomuk 22:00
8KM Senior
1 Eunice Jepkorir 28:41
2 Caroline Cheptanui 29:06
3 Prisca Kiprono 29:33
4 Pauline Wangui 29:49
5 Emma Muthoni 30:15
10KM Road Race
1 Christine Misoi 37:41
2 Linah Chirchir 39:23
3 Eddy Chepkoech 43:34
4 Pranice Omena 44:36
