North Rift to host KCB Cross country

By Joseph Ngure

ELDORET, KENYA: The North Rift region is set to host the first Athletics Kenya sporting activity in the New Year with the sixth Kenya Commercial Bank cross-country meeting earmarked for Eldoret Polytechnic.

The sixth leg, expected to attract the-who-is who as far as the cross-country running is concerned from the county’s running nerve centre, will also see the contest for the KCB Jackpot move to a decisive stage.

Being the second last of the seven-tier build up series, the Saturday event will awaken those who had taken a break from for Christmas as they gauge themselves ahead of grass root competitions that will be reaching its apex with National Trials on February 16.

North Rift Athletics Kenya branch chairman Patrick Sang said the region is awaiting a unexpected big number participants and the organisers must be prepared to see all will be well.

Largest participation

“As we have been experiencing before, this meeting is going to attract the largest participation and to be fair to all, we have to be more careful. The course is being remarked and we are expecting good competition in all the four categories,” said Sang, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics 3,000 metres steeplechase silver medallist.

Since the series got underway on November 3 in Nyahururu, Bydgosccz 2010 World Cross-country champion Emily Chebet, cross-country regular Hosea Mwok Macharinyang, schoolboy Moses Mukono and students Agnes Chebet, Jackline Chebwogen, Eva Cherono, Mercy Chebwogen and Sheila Chepng’etich are topping the list of contestants for the Ksh1.2 Million KCB Jackpot.

Shown seriousness

Others who have shown seriousness and are likely to alter the sharing mathematics over the remaining two races are Peter Matelong, John Mwangangi in the senior men 12km and Phanencier Chemutai, Joyline Chelangat and Pamela Lisoreng in the women’s 8km duel.

Chebet, also the Standard Chartered Nairobi 10Km champion, has garnered maximum three points after winning three times consecutively.

Since she entered the race with an easy victory at Nyahururu Sports Club, the Kericho-based runner went on to claim the titles in Machakos and Kisii unchallenged.

“My aim was to capitalise on the first three series because I knew opposition was not stiff and one can easily win,” said the star, who preferred running the last Meeting in Kericho to be crown the winner.

Phanencier Chemutai finished third in Kisii, fifth in Mt Elgon and third in Embu while Lisoreng, a cross-country sensation, has managed to finish fourth in Mt Elgon and fifth in Embu.

In senior men, Macharinyang, who has been in the Kenya cross-country team seven times, registered for the jackpot in Nyahururu where he finished second behind Mateelong.