Catherine Ndereba at the Kenya Prisons' Champs (© Robert Gicheru)
Nairobi, KenyaWorld Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba and Bernard Rotich were the winners respectively of the women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m at the Kenya Prisons Provincial Championships today.
Bernard Rotich, clocked 27:09.8 for his 10,000m victory which is the fastest time ever on Kenyan soil and the fifth fastest in the world this year.
Rotich, 22, a rockie runner, surprised the assembled field which included the World Marathon champion Luke Kibet with a final devastating kick to leap in one race from obscurity and into Olympic team contention.
By qualifying for the Games at altitude he could be described as yet another find from Kenya's deep pool of talent.
Picked by the Prisons' selectors last year, Rotich was fourth in this year's Prisons' Cross Country Championships and 19th in the national trials. In his first international outing last month in Mauritius, he finished 5th in the 3000m and won a 10k road race in Morocco this month.
"I felt just like going and was encouraged by Kibet who told me he was not in the best form due to injury. But in the last lap I decided to run as fast as I could," said Rotich.
Guest runner Alex Todomy posted 27:42.1 which is still faster than John Korir's best time then at altitude of 27:48.42, which he posted during the 2000 Sydney Olympics trials. Kibet in third clocked 27:51.4.
Catherine the Great
Ndereba is thirsting for the Olympic gold medal to complete her resume as one of the best, if not the best road racers of her generation. At first she had not intended to compete in the 5000m as she had set her sights on tomorrow's 10,000m.
"But after warming up, I felt the urge to run as part of my daily routine," said Ndereba, twice World champion and the silver medallist at the Athens Olympics.
"I was encouraged by the presence of my friends and clocking 16 minutes is okay for me."
In the line-up was the former London and New York Marathon champion Margaret Okayo, three-times World Cross Country short course champion Edith Masai, Irene Kwambai and Catherine Kirui.
Okayo dictated the pace for the first five laps with Kwambai in close tow along with guest runner Beatrice Chepngeno. Ndereba maintained her position while Masai remained in the back.
Okayo was soon to start fading as Masai moved into the lead with Ndereba behind her, and they cut the rest adrift with four laps to go and by the 11th lap Masai looked comfortable. Ndereba moved to the front at the bell and appeared to waiver from Masai's assault. They engaged each other in a sprint which Ndereba won in 16:14.7. Masai clocked 16:16.2 and Kwambai was third in 16:22.2.
The meeting concludes tomorrow.
Peter Njenga for the IAAF
Results
Men
10,000m
1: Bernard Rotich, Eastern, 27:09.8
2: Alexander Todomy, Guest, 27:42.1
3: Luke Kibet, North Eastern, 27:51.4
4: Daniel Too, Nairobi, 28:02.0
Women
5000m
1: Catherine Ndereba, Western, 16:14.7
2: Edith Masai, North Eastern, 16:16.2
3: Caroline Kwambai, Eastern, 16:22.2
4: Beatrice Chepngeno, Guest, 16:34.5
