A Kenyan Athlete who lives in Japan won the senior women 10 km race during the fifth leg of Athletics Kenya Cross Country series held in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.
Hellen Ekalale who dominated the race from the start to the end attributed her achievement in the Ol Kalou race to a fortnight ago win of 5000m race in Japan before flying home as well as changing her local training base from Nyahururu to Keringet in South Rift.
“I was really confident coming to today’s race because I have been doing well in Japan. As soon as the race started I knew I could win it and so I pushed myself hard and managed to get the victory,” she said.
Enkalale who clocked 35:53.1 to emerge the winner was already 50 metres from the rest in the first kilometre of the 2km loop at the Ol Kalou Arboretum.
The Japan-based Athlete was trailed behind by Christine Njoki Nalimo from North Rift who gave chase and finished second in 36:25.1 while Joylin Cherotich from South Rift completed third in 37:13.1.
Winner for the senior men 10km race was Vincent Kibet Langat after he opened a gap from his two competitors Wesley Kipkemoi Yego and John Lomoni in the last moment. The three had kept exchanging lead for greater part of the race.
Langat who is from South Rift won in 32:05.2 while Yego of KDF was second in 32:08.9 and Lomoni trailed behind to third position in 32:18.4.
The girls’ Under-20 six kilometers race was dominated by South Rift. Notable in this race was that a high number of runners underwent first aid assistance after collapsing during the race.
Nyandarua governor Moses Kiarie Badilisha, AK First Vice president Paul Mutwii and AK national treasurer David Miano attended the event.
Cabinet Secretary in charge of sports Kipchumba Murkomen who was expected to attend missed the event. He reportedly ran out of time while visiting an Under-17 holiday training camp not far from venue of the Cross Country.
By Kimani Tirus
