Linet Chepkurui runs a solo race to win the senior women's race at the Fifth Athletics Kenya Cross Country meeting in Nyahururu (© IAAF.org)
With the established seniors continuing to give the series a wide berth, junior athletes seem to have taken advantage to test the waters as was the case at the Fifth Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Series race in Nyahururu, central Kenya, on Saturday.
World Junior Championships’ 5000 metres silver medallist, Mathew Kisorio, ran away with the senior men’s 12kilometres title in sunny but windy conditions on the challenging Nyahururu Golf Club course - that lies at an altitude of 2,381 metres above sea level - with Linet Chepkirui from the Kenya Air Force flying off with the senior women’s title.
The junior categories were won by Vincent Rono and Hilda Chepkemoi.
Kisorio aiming at selection for Amman
In the senior men’s race, Kisorio was cautious and only broke clear from the impressive field of 260 runners after the opening two kilometres loop and quickly opened up a 200-metre gap at the front cruising to victory in 34 minutes, 10.09 seconds, and firing warning shots to the elite seniors.
"I’m happy with today’s performance,” said the 19-year-old silver medal winner in the 5000m at the World Juniors in Bydgoszcz last summer. “It’s an indication that I’m now probably right for the seniors’ competition.”
Kisorio’s arrival on the seniors stage is of great significance to Kenyan followers of cross country running as it was the youngster’s father, the great cross country runner, Some Muge, who struck Kenya’s first medal on the global stage when he won the seniors’ bronze at the 1983 Championships in Gateshead, England, beginning a great Kenyan tradition in the sport.
Kisorio, from the athletics-rich Nandi District of Kenya’s Rift Valley Province, already has an individual bronze (Mombasa, 2007) and team gold (Edinburgh, 2008) under his belt and hopes to get onto the seniors’ podium at next year’s championships in Amman (March 28).
Other notable happenings in the senior men’s race was the return to action of veteran Sammy Kipketer who had two back-to-back fourth place finishes at the World Cross Country Championships in 2001 (Ostende) and 2002 (Dublin).
He settled for seventh place Saturday behind the fleet-footed, fledgling, upstarts with former world junior cross bronze medalist, Barnabas Kosgei, and Kiplimo Kimutai completing the podium places, seven and 10 seconds behind the winner respectively.
Solo win for Chepkirui
The senior women’s race also saw another returnee in the form of the indefatigable Sally Barsosio, Kenya’s first senior women’s world track champion (10,000m in Athens, 1997).
But she, like Kipketer, settled for a seventh place finish.
Chepkirui, who skipped the last leg of the Kenya Commercial Bank-sponsored Kenyan series in Kisii on December 13, when she finished second at the Tuskys Eldoret cross country at the same weekend, was up against a formidable field.
And the victory will hold her campaign to clinch the Armed Forces and National titles in good stead, considering she is on the recovery path after a nagging injury.
“Beating top runners like Innes Chenonge and Irene Limika makes me feel that my recovery is right on track and I will definitely go for a place in the national team for the World Cross Country Championships in Amman,” the Air Force runner said.
The sixth and final race of the series will be in Eldoret on January 10, paving way for the Kenya Prisons, Kenya Police, Armed Forces and Provincial Championships as Kenya’s tacticians continue the long road to next March’s worlds in Amman.
Leading Results
Junior women’s 6km: 1. Hilda Chepkemoi 19:16.5, 2. Mercy Cherono 19:30.9, 3. Judy Cheboi 19:33.8, 4. Nelly Chebet 19:54.5, 5. Judy Chepkoech 20:06.4, 6. Christine Cheruto 20:12.3, 7. Elizabeth Mweni 20:14.0, 8. Linda Kaimwi 20:28.5, 9. Virginia Nyambura 20:29.0, 10. Miriam Muthoni 20:30.3.
Junior men’s 8km: 1. Vincent Rono 22:44.2, 2. Japhet Korir 22:49.6, 3. Simon Cheprot 22:56.8, 4. Paul Kiboi 23:05. 4, 5. Peter Kimer 23:10.9, 6. John Wamahiu 23:15.2, 7. Eliud Bett 23:25.5, 8. Edward Waweru 23:29.3, 9. Nelson Kipkosgei 23:31.4. 10. Alex Oloitiptip 23:33.1.
Senior women 8km: 1. Linet Chepkirui 25:48.8, 2. Joice Wanjiku 26:32.5. 3. Irene Limika 26:39.2, 4. Iness Chenonge 26:51.2, 5. Florence Chepkemoi 26:52.7. 6. Rahab Ndung'u 26:59.8, 7. Sally Barsosio 26:59.9, 8. Penina Wamboi 27:03.1, 9. Ann Wanjiru 27:06.7, 10. Milka Chepmos 27:10.7.
Senior men 12km: 1. Mathews Kisorio 34:10.9, 2. Barnabas Kosgei 34:17.9, 3. Kiplimo Kimutai 34:20.4, 4. Mark Kiptoo 34:49.9, 5. Levy Matebo 25:02.8, 6. Yegon Kiprotich 35:05.9, 7. Sammy Kipketer 35:07.3, 8. Edwin Kipkorir 35:15.9, 9. David Chepterit35:17.4, 10. Gilbert Lagat 35:19.6.
Elias Makori for the IAAF
