Kenyans open medal account as Muriuki bags silver in marathon

Kenya's Margaret Wangari Muriuki poses for a photo at the finish line after wining silver in the women marathon during the Birmingham Commonwealth games at the Victoria Square on July 30, 2022. (Kelly Ayodi, Standard)

Kenya's Margaret Wangari Muriuki bagged silver, her maiden major championship medal as Michael Githae won bronze in marathon as Kenya started its medal collection at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom yesterday.

Wangari,36, took silver in 2:28:00 behind Australian Jessica Stenson who claimed the Commonwealth Games title in 2:27:31 while the defending champion Helalia Johannes of Namibia walked home with bronze medal in 2:28:39.

The 2020 Los Angeles Marathon champion Wangari was a lone ranger in Kenya's quest to recapture the women's marathon title after her compatriots, the 2019 Standard Chartered Bank Nairobi Marathon champion Purity Changwony and 2021 Rotterdam Marathon champion Stella Barsosio were withdrawn, in what appeared as an anti-doping test flagging.
No official communication came out regarding the two athletes.

Philemon Kacheran who was named in the men's squad was sanctioned last week by anti-doping watchdog Athletics Integrity Unit.
In the men's battlefront, Michael Githae won marathon bronze, the first medal at the Commonwealth Games for Kenya as Uganda's Victor Kiplangat bagged gold while Alphonce Simbu won silver for Tanzania's to complete an East African sweep.

Githae outpaced Liam Adams from Australia for the bronze medal spot.

Githae,27, went to Birmingham as a reserve but due to problems with Kenyan entry requirements for Eric Kiptanui who was entered wrongly by National Olympics Committee, the reserve was called upon to take part.
Reports say that another Eric was entered instead of him.

However, Githae grabbed the opportunity to win his first individual medal, clocking 2:13:16.

Kiplangat (2:10:55) produced a solid display ensuring he became the first Ugandan to win the Commonwealth Games gold in the marathon. Simbu settled for silver in 2:12:29.
Jonathan Korir, another Kenyan representative in the event stayed with the leading pack until the 30km when Kiplangat and Simbu dropped them. Korir returned 2:14:06 for fifth place.

Australian Liam Adama (2:13:23) led in the opening kilometres of the race alongside Githae, Simbu, Kiplangat and Tanzanian Athumani Misai. The Australian however finished outside the podium places in fourth.

Meanwhile, England's Johnboy Smith took advantage of an unfortunate puncture for David Weir to take gold in the Birmingham 2022 Men's T53/54 Marathon.
Weir was leading by more than a minute with less than six miles of the race to go but the puncture ended his medal hopes as Smith moved ahead and eventually crossed the finishing line four minutes and 34 seconds clear in a time of one hour 41.15 minutes.