Kenyans get Moscow and Melbourne in their sights - AK T&F, Meeting One

Young athletes led by World Youth 3000m champion Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru, took centre stage as Athletics Kenya's opening weekend track meeting took place at Thika in the outskirts of the Kenyan capital yesterday (5).

With a busy indoor and outdoor track season ahead in early 2006, which will climax at the World Indoor Championships, Moscow (10 -12 March) and the Commonwealth Games, Melbourne (15 - 26 March), the Kenyan Federation have organised a season of weekend track and field meetings to help their athletes prepare. This series is straddling, on alternate weekends, the series of cross country meetings which Athletics Kenya annually stages at this time of the year in preparation for the World Cross Country Championships, the next edition of which will be held in Fukuoka, Japan (1-2 April 2006).

Understandably, with the main European summer track and field season only recently concluded, many of Kenya’s top athletes are presently taking a rest or are back in training, and are unlikely to show themselves on this weekend circuit until much closer in the build-up to Moscow and Melbourne. In their absence some great youth and junior talent grabbed the limelight yesterday…

Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru, 16, the World Youth champion who was also second at this year’s World Cross Country Championships in the junior race, won the women’s 5000m yesterday which was run on a rough murram track under clear skies and in humid conditions following an overnight down pour. Running for Mfae Club, Wanjiru crossed the line in 16:11.8 ahead of her name sakes, Mercy (2nd, 16:13.6) with whom she exchanged the lead for a few laps, and a more distant Catherine Wanjiru (3rd, 16:23.5).

“I am torn between doing the cross country and track,” said Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru commenting on the varied choice of championships early next year. “My coach will decide which is best for me, otherwise I would like to compete in cross country," added Nyaruai, who turned 16 years of age last month (29 October 2005).

Monicah Wangare, faced no opposition as she cruised to victory in her specialty, the women’s 10,000m, in 34:59.0, while Ann Wabera was second (35:12.4) with Lucy Macharia (35:59.0) way back in third.

In the men's 10,000m race, the up and coming prospect John Thuo of the IAAF HPTC in Eldoret, stayed clear of second placed Isaac Kinyua of Mfae to win 29:47.6 to 29:54.3.

The part grass, part murram track presented the steeplechasers with a very old water jump to tackle, a relic of the old colonial era but the ancient facilities did not stop Patrick Langat from beating the opposition in a slow 8:40.3 time followed by Caleb Ngetich (8:41.7). “Their determination was admirable in a Spartan way and certainly a very good way of launching an international career,” said Kenya national athletics coach Dan Muchoki.

Peter Njenga (Daily Nation) for the IAAF

Selected results -

Men

400m:
1. Pius Kipngetich, Armed Forces, 48.1
2. Salesio Njiru, Prisons, 48.9
3. Geofrey Mabwi, Nairobi, 48.9

800m:
1. Henry Mwoka, Armed Forces, 1:53.3
2. Evans Ndung'u, Prisons, 1:53.9
3. Shadrack Rotich, Armed Forces, 1:54.4

1500m:
1. Mark Kiptoo, Armed Forces, 3:48.0
2. Denis Nyakundi, Isiolo, 3:48.2
3. Geoffrey Rono, ESTN, 3:49.2

5000m:
1. Jonas Cheruiyot, Eldoret, 13:55.4
2. Joe Melly, Individual, 14:00.1
3. Jacob Wanjiku, Individual, 14:04.4

10,000m:
1. John Thuo, HPTC, 29:47.6
2. Isaac Kinyua, Mfae, 29:54.3
3. Daniel Gitau, Individual, 31:15.5

3000m Steeplechase:
1. Patrick Langat, SMI, 8:40.3
2. Caleb Ngetich, Kemri, 8:41.7
3. Abraham Chirchir, Nyanyuki, 8:57.0
 

Women

800m:
1. Beth Muthoni, Mfae, 2:10.7
2. Joyce Chelagat, Armed Forces, 2:12.02
3. Milka Wamaitha, Mfae, 2;16.02

1500m:
1. Jane Muthoni, Mfae, 4:27.7
2. Ruth Karanja, Mfae, 4:29.5
3. Jackline Chirchir, Armed Forces, 4:37.5

5000m:
1. Veronicah Nyaruai, Mfae, 16:11.8
2. Mercy Wanjiru, Mfae, 16:13.6
3. Catherine Wanjiru, Mfae, 16:23.5

10,000m:
1. Monicah Wangare, Mfae, 34:59.0
2. Ann Wabera, Mfae, 35:12.4
3. Lucy Macharia, Mfae, 35:59.0