News19 Mar 2008


Kipsiro and Kiprop lead Uganda’s hunt in Edinburgh

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Big win for Moses Kipsiro in Seville (© Juan Rodelas Diaz)

2007 World Championships 5000m bronze medallist Moses Kipsiro and Commonwealth 10,000m champion Boniface Kiprop lead a team of 13 runners to the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Edinburgh, Scotland (30 March).

Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) made a tactical decision that only passed two teams, the senior and junior men’s teams to make the trip. “Time was not on our side but the teams that have been named have experienced runners that can do anything at the World Cross Country. We have a lot of hope in them in Scotland,” said UAF technical vice president Peter Okot Omwony.

Senior men - Kipsiro going for honours

With the Osaka bronze medal still fresh in his trophy cabinet, the Ugandan cross country champion opted out of the recently ended World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain, to build enough stamina that will see him battle with his Ethiopian and Kenyan counterparts in the Scottish town.

Kipsiro is yet to lose any race this season and his most recent victory came at the Ugandan cross country championships but he is still yet to emotionally recover from the Mombasa night mare where him and mentor Boniface Kiprop failed to finish in the senior race that was won by Eritrean Zersenay Tadese.

“I know everybody is prepared for the World Cross but there is one winner and whoever overcomes the mud and climate conditions of the course will take day, am not scared of anybody,” said Kipsiro, who defeated Tadese at this year’s ‘26th Cross Internacional de Itálica’ in Seville, Spain, an IAAF cross country Permit meet (20 January). Kipsiro has been doing altitude training for a month since his triumph at the Ugandan championships.

Also nobody should rule out the Commonwealth 10,000m champion Kiprop despite his recent medal drought in the last season. Since pulling out of the Mombasa race, Kiprop finished a distant 10th position in the Osaka 10,000m final won by Kenenisa Bekele.

The other members of the Ugandan senior team include Mombasa team bronze medalists Moses Aliwa, Martin Toroitich and Wilson Busienei Kipkemei who will all team up with Simon Ayeko, Nathan Kibet and Nicolas Kiprono.

Junior men – Kusuro and Kiplagat to watch

World Mountain Running Champion Geoffrey Kusuro, winner of the Ugandan junior cross race, together with Mombasa 5th placer Benjamin Kiplagat will be the biggest names to watch on the Ugandan side in the junior men’s race. Kiplagat almost led two laps in Mombasa but ended up in fifth but this time, he seems to be in the finest form which could see him go all the way.

The other junior runners include Ben Siwa, Abraham Kiplimo and Stephen Kiprotich, winner of the 2008 Bukwo Race.

Daniel Senfuma and Namayo Mawerere for IAAF

Teams

Junior men (8km)
Kusuro Goefrey
Kiplangat Benjamin
Abraham Kiplimo
Siwa Ben
Kiprotich Stephen

Senior men (12km)
Moses Kipsiro
Boniface Kiprop
Kiprono Nicholas
Chebet Nathan
Ayeko Simon
Aliwa Moses
Wilson Kipkemei
Toroitich Martin

 

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