Kipkoech, Chepkorir star in Jaramogi Road Race

By PHILIP ORWA

Leonard Kipkoech clocked 44:31.13 to emerge the overall winner of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga 15km Road Race.

The 2011 Ras Al Kaimah half marathon champion went home Sh50,000 richer after his win in Bondo on Saturday.

Kipkoech was followed by Hosea Sang and Elijah Tirop (who is the defending Champion and World Aids Marathon title holder) who finished in  44:31.82 and 44:33.50 respectively.

In the women’s category,  25-year-old Pascalia Chepkorir won in 51:27.94.

Cynthia Limo and Nancy Kimaiyo finished second and third in 51:28.24 and 52:07.10 respectively. In the men’s junior category, David Otieno won the 2km race after clocking 6:04.07 followed by Vincent Owino in 6:04.08 and Walter Otieno in 6:05.09.

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In the children’s category,  Susan Anyango won the 400m in 60:13.00 followed by Maryanne Awuor 60:17.00 and Riziki Atieno who clocked 60:18.00.

In the boys’ category Stephen Omondi clocked 60:11.00 to win the race followed by Jimbasin Otieno (60:17.00) and Jeremiah Omondi in 60:18.00.

In the 1km (age group 12-13) race, Quinter Anyango won in 3:47.00, followed by Sophie Awino (3:51.00) and Caroline Adhiambo in 3:52.00.

In the boys’ one-kilometre  race, Josphat Okoth won in 3:16.00 followed by Samson Odhiambo in 3:23.00 and Nicholas Owino in 3:25.00 during the race which attracted more than 500 athletes.

This was the first road race in the Safaricom Athletics Series.

Winning the jackpot

The 15km Road Race began at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University with athletes running through Bondo Town to Nyamira Village and back.

The winners of the road race stand a chance to win a further Sh200,000 in the jackpot should they record the fastest average speed in three other road races in the series.

 “We are proud to be part of this wider move to entrench athletics in this region as well as other parts of the country. We believe that sports and particularly athletics, has consistently been a source of national pride and positions the country very positively,” said Safaricom’s Sponsorship Coordinator Angeline Sonje.

The event comes two weeks after the Safaricom Mombasa International Marathon which was won by Uganda’s Solomon Mutai and Eldoret-based Sally Lagat in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.

The Coastal event was the first in the Safaricom Jackpot Series while the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Race in Bondo was the second in the series.