Sheila Chelangat stole the show at the 3rd Betika Kericho Cross Country race held at the Kericho Teachers Training (KTTC) grounds on Saturday.
The races sponsored by Betika Betting Company featured 10km races for senior women and senior men categories, mixed relay competitions, and the 4km veteran races for women and men aged 50 years and above.
The seasoned athlete bagged gold at the 2024 Istanbul Half Marathon with a personal best of 66:47 for the 21km run and clinched a bronze medal at the 2015 World Youth Championships in the 3000m race.
The 26-year-old trains in Kericho under coach Gabriel Kiptanui. She edged out top-ranking athlete Mercy Cherono, who came in tenth position, to a surprise win in the 10km senior women with a personal best of 33:18.95, and gold medallist at the 2024 Birell Grand Prix Diana Chepkorir, who came in second, and Maurine Jepkoech, who came in third in a tight race of 92 contestants.
Chelangat, who trains in Kericho, said despite not preparing adequately for the Betika Cross Country race, she was optimistic of clinching gold at the Valencia Half Marathon slated for October 27, 2024, in Valencia, Spain.
“The race was not challenging despite not adequately preparing for it, but I thank God for today’s surprise win. I am training hard for the Valencia Half Marathon and hoping to improve on my personal best time,” said Chelangat.
Prominent and upcoming athletes from Kericho, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kiambu, Nyahururu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Bomet, Narok, Iten, and Baringo counties featured in the 10km women’s and men’s races, the mixed relay competition, and the veteran races for women and men aged 50 years and above, which included 800m gold medallist Alex Ngeno at the 2024 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Doula, Cameroon.
Kipngetich has two silver medals under his belt in the 800m track discipline. Running also was the 2017 gold medallist at the World Youth Championships Games, Caren Chebet.
Over 800 upcoming and seasoned athletes took part in the scheduled track disciplines.
In the senior men’s 10km race, Vincent Kibet Langat grabbed the number one slot with a personal best time of 30:04.52. Nicholas Kipkorir finished in second place, with Mathew Kipkoech coming in third.
Langat, 23, said he was pleased with his performance as he had trained well.
The upcoming athlete from Nakuru County who bagged gold at the 2024 edition of the Absa Run Your City 10k series in Gqeberha, South Africa, said he was happy with his performance.
“The race was challenging, but I am happy with my performance. I did not expect to win, but my training has been going on well and I am hopeful I will do well in the Cross Country Games in Machakos County on 2 November this year,” said Langat.
In the 4x400m mixed relay race, the Nakuru team shone their way to victory in 23:46.24.
Daniel Kimoiyo, Diana Chepkorir, Daniel Kinyanjui, and Janet Chepngetich impressed the cheering crowds as they breezed past their competitors to clinch the number one slot.
The 4km veteran women’s race was won by gold medallist 2021 Africa Masters Championship Games Joyce Kirui, 50, from Nakuru County with a personal Best time of 8:07.51 seconds, while the men’s veteran race winner Francis Bowen finished with a personal best time of 12:55.00.
Betika Head of Branding, Eric Mwiti, said the prize monies totalling Sh1.19 million will be availed to the winners after confirming negative anti-doping results before qualifying them to pick their cheques.
The top three winners in both male and female 10km races will bank their prize money of Sh150,000, Sh100,000, and Sh75,000. Numbers four and five will get Sh50,00 and Sh40,000, respectively, while positions 6 to 10 will be awarded Sh20,000 each following the completion of mandatory anti-doping procedures.
The mixed relay winner will pocket Sh50,000; position two was awarded Sh30,000, with Sh20,000 for position three. The Masters Category winner will receive Sh30,000, while positions two and three received Sh20,000 and Sh10,000.
By Sarah Njagi
