Kabuu tops charts in Kenya Police cross-country championships

By Jonathan Komen

Dubai Marathon winner Lucy Kabuu won the women’s eight-kilometre race at the 21st Kenya Police cross-country championships at Ngong Race course.

World cross-country junior champion Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor also blew away a star-studded field to wear the men’s 12km crown.

Kabuu and Kipsang produced a superlative showing to wow the huge crowds – among them Inspector General David Kimaiyo and Athletics Kenya President Isaiah Kiplagat – at the lush green and well-manicured cross-country circuit.

The lithe athlete produced a sudden burst of speed that reduced the field to shreds on the penultimate circuit, breezing the tape in 27 minutes and 16.9 minutes.

World marathon winner Edna Kiplagat (27:17.3) came second as Janet Kisa (27:22.4), a fresh graduate at senior ranks and fifth-placed at the Punta Umbria world cross, came third. Three-time world cross-country silver medalist Linet Masai (27:28.5), new catch Viola Kimeto (27:29.2) and Edith Chelimo (27:32.4) followed.

Cheruiyot (28.00.0), marathoner Isabella Ochichi (28:47.1) and two-time world 3,000 metres steeplechase bronze medalist Milca Chemos (29:24.3) came in 10th, 18th and 23rd respectively.

Kabuu, who missed a place at the London Olympics squad, formed the leading pack of 11 runners which had world-beating runners including reigning world cross-country champion Vivian Cheruiyot and Kiplagat.

Kabuu dictated the slow pace in the first lap before Cheruiyot dropped off as Kiplagat, Masai and former Commonwealth Youth Games 1,500m champion Stacy Ndiwa stuck in tow.

She exchanged the lead with Masai and Kiplagat and then charged back with a super-finish to go past the flagging Masai, who drifted back to fourth place.

Kabuu, who finished third in Chicago Marathon last year, said: “The race was quite challenging given the well-grassed course. I am now setting my focus on the world championships marathon team.”

Kiplagat longs to compete at the London Marathon before defending her world marathon title in Moscow in August.

Cheruiyot, too, harbours no interest in world cross-country –preparing to defend her 5,000m and 10,000m world titles.?Kipsang, who hails from Chepkorio in Keiyo South, re-enacted his world cross-country winning formula: gun-to-tape front run.

The 20-year-old runner sped away from the gun with his arms pumping and went through the first lap in a swift 5:36.

He controlled the race even as his sole challenger Geoffrey Mutai, the world’s best marathoner, breathed down his neck.

Kipsang then stepped up the pace in the early stages of the third lap that spread out all his rivals, opening a 200m gap at the finish line in 35:00.1.