Chebet among top athletes expected at cross country meet in Kipkelion

By MUTWIRI MUTUOTA

SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

World cross champion Emily Chebet is among the cream expected to take to the course at what is expected to be a hotly contested second KCB/AK National Cross Country Series meeting in Kipkelion.

Chebet, who edged world 10000m champion, Linet Masai for the senior women’s 8km title in Bydgoszcz, Poland, was upset by young Genzebe Dibaba last weekend when the IAAF European Cross Circuit opened in Atapuerca, Spain.

Home runner, Mercy Cherono, the World Cross 6km and World Junior 3,000m champion, is also expected to make her senior bow at the event where some 500 athletes are expected.

Another top runner from the region, Edwin Soi, the 5,000m African champion in addition to 2004 Olympics bronze medallist, Paul Kipsiele Koech are also expected to run.

"We also expect athletes from Prisons, Police, Armed Forces, North Rift, Transmara, Ngong, Nyahururu and other areas to be here," Athletics Kenya (AK) relations officer, Peter Angwenyi, told FeverPitch.

A total of 24 runners are in the run for a piece of the Sh1m jackpot to be split among the four disciplines at the end of the series during the IAAF Permit KCB/AK National Cross Country Championships on 19 February at Uhuru Gardens.

"Most of top six finishers in Machakos will be seeking to score points for the jackpot," said Angwenyi.

Timothy Kiptoo (senior men), Pauline Njeri (senior women), Simon Cheprot (junior men) and World Cross fourth finisher Faith Cheng’etich (junior women) opened the domestic cross circuit with victories in the Machakos opener.

From Kipkelion, the series moves to Kapsakwony, Mount Elgon, the distance running catchment area that has produced the likes of the Masai siblings and world 10k record holder, Leonard Komon among others.

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