Mwangangi and Kwambai lead Prisons championships hunt

By Jonathan Komen

After the highly-successful Defence Forces and Police cross country meetings last week, focus turns this weekend for the Prisons Championships in Nairobi.

Former Africa cross-country champion John Mwangangi will lead the men’s charges at the championships at Uhuru Gardens tomorrow.

The Prison warders and wardress will rehearse on the relatively flat and fast course, which will host the Kenya Commercial Bank and Athletics Kenya national cross-country championships – also an IAAF Permit Meeting – on February 16.

 But Olympic 5,000m bronze medalist, Thomas Longosiwa, who is fresh from bagging the bronze medal at the London Olympics, will miss out in the men’s 12km line-up.

 The Eldoret-based Longosiwa said he is still nursing a hamstring injury he picked up recently while training. And hopes to recover soon and prepare for the world championships in Moscow, Russia, in August.

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 Mwangangi needs to be at his best to tackle the field that features 2007 world championships marathon champion Luke Kibet and world 1,500m silver medalist Silas Kiplagat.

 Africa cross-country bronze medalist Timothy Kiptoo, 2006 Commonwealth Games 1,500m sensation Jonathan Komen and Fredrick Musyoki, seventh-placed at the Africa cross-country showpiece, will spice up the line-up.

Former world half marathon champion Wilson Kiprop is also in the mix.New talent Bernard Rotich is also expected to offer a mouth-watering clash in the chase for team spots to the national championships.

The Prisons meet brings together a bag of mixed talent, with Kibet staging his comeback after a career-threatening injury took the wind out of his sails.

Kibet, who won the Singapore Marathon in 2009, would use the spectacle to launch his campaign for team slot to the IAAF World Championships marathon squad.  But he has Mwangangi, who won IAAF World Half Marathon bronze medal in Kavarna in Bulgaria last year, to square it out.

The runner, who emerged from Machakos’ Kwanthanze Primary School production chains, said he wanted to stretch his exploits beyond the seas.

 “I won the Africa cross-country title and I long to make national team for the world title,” said Mwangangi, who won 2010 Kenya Prisons meet after eclipsing compatriot Silas Kiplagat.

Kiplagat expects stiff challenge from his rural  neighbour Timothy Kiptoo, the 2012 KCB/AK cross-country jackpot winner.Joseph Birech, the Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist, will miss the action after he lost his father on Tuesday.

Veteran Caroline Kwambai, upstarts Jane Mwikali and Jane Murage will duck it out with 2009 Boston Marathon winner Salina Kosgei and Farida Chelang’a, an attachee to the Prisons team.Meanwhile, Nairobi Bottlers Limited donated water and soft drinks for the Prisons Championships, which was handed by Marketing Manager Ampher Apidi to Benjamin Njoga, Athletics Prions chairman.