Ndereba
takes easy 10,000m win in Kenyan Prison Services Championships
Omulo Okoth for IAAF
7 June 2002 – Nairobi – Marathon star Catherine Ndereba (World best 2:18:47)
easily won the 10,000m event at the end of the two day Kenya Prisons Service
Championships at Nyayo National Stadium yesterday.
In the absence of Susan Chepkemei (who ran the 5000m) and New York Marathon winner Margrate Okayo, Ndereba easily romped home in first position clocking 33:39.2. She was followed by Jackline Cherutich who was timed in 35:29.8, with Grace Miseti finishing third with 37:31.0.
In the 5000m, Edith Maasai who won the women's short race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin last March, beat Chepkemei into second place. Maasai clocked 15:57.4 with Chepkemei returning in 16:00.5. Pauline Konga was placed third at 16:56.1 in the race that attracted high profile athletes.
Hamburg marathon champion Christopher Kandiye (2:10:15) was the biggest casualty in the men’s events. Kandiye who was placed third in last year's Berlin half marathon failed to make it past the heats of the 10,000m falling at the preliminary stage where he was placed fifth with a time of 29:48.0. The event was won by Lucas Kibet in 29:11.0. He was followed home by Edwin Koech, who clocked 29:26.8 just ahead of Edwin Koech (29:42.1)
Kandiye's attempt at the 5,000m event also failed when he could only manage fourth position in 14:26.0. The race was won by Albert Okemwa (13:48.2). Evans Kipchumba was second (13:58.7) with Charles Onsabwa finishing third (14:06.0).
Kandiye later attributed his poor performance to lack of adequate training. "I only had a few days to be in shape for the race but I am not disappointed. I am comfortable with the result considering that I had just run a marathon race," he said.
Other
selected results:
1500m (women):
Selina Kosgey (4:39.5),Caroline Chelangat (4:44.4),Grace Masati (4:46.3).
800m:
Selina
Kosgey (2:06.4),Caroline Chelangat (2:18.6),Christine Kiptui (2:21.4).
1500m
(men):
Edwin Koech
(3:48.2),Geoffrey Letangoi (3:50.1),James Masese (3:51.5).
3000ms/c:
Luka Kibet
(8:42.0),John Kipchumba (8:50.4) and Thomas Maguti (9:20.4).
Kosgei
defeated by Kipketer in Kenyan Armed Forces championships
Peter Njenga for
the IAAF
7 June 2002 - Nairobi - On-form Sammy Kipketer won the 10,000 metres final of
the Kenyan Armed Forces Championships, ahead of IAAF World Half Marathon
champion Paul Kosgei on Friday, which followed-up on his AAC Permit meet victory
here three weeks ago.
His time of 28 minutes 16.2 seconds though quite slow on a fairly warm but windy day at a stadium in the outskirts of the city, was well deserved as he out-paced the quality entry - which included cross country aces Tom Nyariki and Patrick Ivuti - in the last lap with a forceful turn of speed. Kosgei came a distant second in 28:24.0, as Nyariki and Ivuti took the third and fourth positions respectively.
"My aim is the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup (in Madrid). For now I have cleared a tough hurdle by winning today ahead of such a respectable field," said Kipketer, a Private at Nanyuki Barracks on the foot of Mount Kenya, some 220km north of the capital Nairobi.
Ivuti who is just coming out after a year long lay-off due to injury said he was happy with the results and he will be putting more mileage in training together with his partners Paul Tergat and Joshua Chelang'a at Ngong Hills near Nairobi.
Olympic 1500m champion Noah Ngeny skipped his main event in preference for the 800m as he builds up on his speed ahead of the IAAF Golden League. He won his heat in 1:49.4 and is favourite for the victory in Saturday's final.
"I am still working on my speed work, that is why I have been running the 800m. But on Monday I will revert to my usual distance in the Athens Grand Prix," said Ngeny. The Olympic champion is also looking forward to the Africa championships and Commonwealth Games after being dropped from the Kenyan squad for last year's Edmonton Worlds, when he did not report in the training camp on time.
"I will request the KAAA exempt me from the nationals so that I can attempt the World record in Rome. But that is after I see how I will fair in Oslo and Paris. Then I will go to Manchester," added Ngeny, winner of the First Africa Military Games 800m last April in Nairobi. Mike Toroitich was the fastest qualifier in 1:47.7, while Olympian Joseph Mutua won the other heat in 1:49.2.
Results:
10,000m (final): 1. Sammy Kipketer, 28:16.2; 2. Paul Kosgei, 28:24.0; 3. Tom
Nyariki, 28:38.4; 4. Patrick Ivuti, 28:36.0; 5. William Muigei, 28:41.7; 6. John
Korir, 28:51.4; 7. David Kariuki, 29:19.8; 8. William Cheseret, 29:28.5.
