Moses Kipsiro taking the Ugandan Cross Country title (© Daniel Senfuma)
Soroti, UgandaOnform Osaka IAAF World Championships 5000m bronze medalist Moses Kipsiro and reigning World Mountain Running champion Geoffrey Kusuro headlined at the one day Ugandan Cross Country championships at the flat raised Soroti Golf Course.
Men - Kipsiro too strong
Kipsiro, 22 looked focused and confident even before the bell due to his recent successes in his previous races where he tormented the World cross champion Zersenay Tadese at the ‘26th Cross Internacional de Itálica’ in Seville, Spain at an IAAF cross country Permit race on 20 January. The absence of his partner Boniface Kiprop, the 2004 Olympics 10,000m fourth placer as well as the Commonwealth champion was the biggest boost for Kipsiro as he almost ran the final two laps of the flat course on his own. Kipsiro started on a low run as he led a pack of fierce runners such as Martin Toroitich, Wilson Busienei Kipkemei and Moses Aliwa, all bronze medalists at the last World Cross held in the humid Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa.
Kipsiro broke away from the pack with only three laps to go and had his teammate Simon Ayeko chasing but the latter couldn’t match the class of Kipsiro who crossed the finish line in 34:16 to claim his first Ugandan cross country title and his fifth straight win this winter season since his medal triumph at the World championships in Osaka last year.
“The course was so flat and this gave me a slight edge over my opponents," said an exicted Kipsiro. "I need more fitness to match Kenenisa Bekele and the tough Kenyans at the upcoming World cross in Edinburgh on 30 March. Nobody is unbeatable, only the day of the competition can tell,” added Kipsiro, who is one of Uganda’s major hopefuls at this year’s world cross.
Gombe’s Nicolas Kiprono crossed in second position with 34:32 to claim the silver medal while the bronze medal went to Standard’s Nathan Chebet who clocked 34:33. Toroitich, Aliwa and Busienei finished outside of the medal places in fourth, seventh and sixth respectively.
World Mountain Running champion Geoffrey Kusuro was in the limelight as he beat stiff competition from last year’s world junior cross fifth placer Benjamin Kiplagat to win the junior race of the day. Kusuro, the defending champion of this race spent almost all laps running inside the leading pack but broke away in the closing 200m to break the tape in 22:25 only two seconds better than Kiplagat, who settled for the silver while Stephen Kiprotich finished third with 22:31.
“My mission is to return with some silverware in Edinburgh come this year’s world cross country championships,” said Kusuro.
Women's race - Payback for Webombesa
Eastern Africa 800m champion Catharine Webombesa recovered from her previous defeats to claim the women’s title in the absence of champion and former World 3000m Steeplechase champion Dorcus Inzikuru, who is nursing her newly born baby. It was evident that there would be foot-to-foot running between the favorites Webombesa and Adero Nyakisi, and this proved its truth in the opening two laps as the duo ran foot-to-foot until Webombesa featuring for the army side UPDF increased her pace in the last 50m to win in 27:18 while Nyakisi (Prisons) crossed in second with 27:37 while UPDF’s Emily Chebet finished in third place with 27:50.
“I wanted to prove that am a better runner than my opponents as my win has proved to them. Nyakisi has been a thorn in my face,” said Webombesa. Nyakisi had beaten Webombesa at the Ugandan Road Running Championship as well as the Ugandan regional cross, a build up to today’s competition.
The junior race went to Standard’s Doreen Chesang who broke the Soroti tape in 19:32 while Arua’s Viola Chemos finished second with 19:47.
The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) technical committee will convene at a later date to name Uganda’s team for the World cross country championships that will take place in Edinburgh on 30 March.
Daniel Senfuma and Namayo Mawerere for IAAF
Top results -
MEN -
Senior men 12km
1. Moses Kipsiro (Standard) 34:16
2. Nicolas Kiprono (Gombe) 34:32
3. Nathan Chebet (Standard) 34:33
4. Moses Aliwa (Standard) 34:37
5. Simon Ayeko (Standard) 34:44
6. Wilson Busienei Kipmekei (Arua) 34:52
7. Martin Toroitich Kityo (Arua) 34:57
Junior men 8km
1. Geoffrey Kusuro (Arua) 22:25
2. Benjamin Kiplagat (Standard) 22:27
3. Stephen Kiprotich (Standard) 22:31
4. Abraham Kiplimo (Standard) 22:33
5. Ben Siwa (Standard) 22:49
WOMEN -
Senior women 8km
1. Catharine Webombesa (UPDF) 27:18
2. Adero Nyakisi (Prisons) 27:37
3. Emily Chebet (UPDF) 27:50
4. Immaculate Chemutai (Police) 29:07
5. Janet Achola (Prisons) 29:24
Junior women 6km
1. Doreen Chesang (Standard) 19:32
2. Voila Chemos (Arua) 19:47
3. Juliet Chekwel (Standard) 19:49
4. Gladys Chepkwemoi (Standard) 20:02
5. Mercy Chelgant (Standard) 20:07
