Vivian Cheruiyot and Lucas Rotich – The New Tuskys Cross Country Race Champions
Vivian Cheruiyot, the World and Commonwealth 5000m champion and Lucas Rotich have respectively emerged as new senior women (for 8 km event) and men (for 12 km event) champions at the Tuskys Cross Country championships after overdoing the rivals at 5th
edition of the event held on Sunday in Eldoret, Kenya.
Cheruiyot, who had been reported to have said that she was participating into the event not to win but only to use it for launching her season’s training program, started to lead the race right after the third lap, she had taken charge from Rose Kosgei who
had been leading the race for first two laps.
After crossing the finishing line in impressive twenty five minutes and 0.7 seconds, the world champion told the reporters that she had planned to use the local races only “as a build-up towards defending title in Daegu next year.” For clocking twenty five
minutes and 13.5 seconds, Kosgei managed to save second position to her name.
The race had been organized at the traditional Huruma ground present in the western side of the town which also observed return of Prisca Jepleting after a long absence of two years. She managed to cross the finishing line in twenty six minutes and 0.5 seconds.
With time clocked twenty six minutes and 22.6 seconds, Jessica Jemutai ended up fourth. Agnes Jepkosgei and Phanencer Jemutai respectively finished up at fifth and sixth position for finishing the race in twenty six minutes and 34.7 seconds and twenty six
minutes and 40.5 seconds.
The race which is a brain child of Moses Kiptanui, the former multiple World Steeplechase Champion observed its 5th edition under mild winds and clear skies.
On men’s part, Lucas Rotich who ran an impressive race and clocked an emphatic thirty three minutes and 34.4 seconds, ultimately claimed the title. While talking to the reporters after winning the race, the athlete shared that he wanted to take the local
races rather seriously as he was planning to make a national Cross Country team to make up for last year’s failure in winning the medal, where he could only manage to end up at 12th position amid his injury.
Despite of the pace kept by Mike Kigen right from the beginning of the race, which helped him to take and maintain a 100m lead soon after the gun, Rotich, the former two times national secondary schools Cross Country 5000m and 10000m champion focused on
running his own race and managed to outdo the fierce rival when it was the last lap to go.
Kigen, despite of depicting an impressive run could only manage to grab the third position for finishing up in thirty three minutes and 47.8 seconds. He was 6.7 seconds behind Kipkoech Cherono, who crossed the finishing line in thirty three seconds and 41.1
seconds. For ending up the race in thirty three minutes and 51.9 seconds, Stephen Kiprotich ended fourth. For time clocked thirty three minutes and fifty eight seconds and thirty four minutes and 2.8 seconds, Bernard Kiplagat and Elisha Kiprop stood for fifth
and sixth positions respectively.
For junior men’s competitions, Japheth Koir covered the 8 km distance for twenty two minutes and 16.1 seconds; he had beaten Philomen Rono who had crossed the finishing line in twenty two minutes and 30.2 seconds. Justin Kipchumba, for making it to the finishing
line in twenty two minutes and 34.4 seconds stood third on the podium. For twenty two minutes and 40.6 seconds, James Kipchoge was fourth, while with the differences of further 5.2 and 7.8 seconds Peter Kitur and Joseph Ambasi respectively secured fifth and
sixth positions.
On women’s side, junior women’s 6km race title was bagged by Jepkorir Kipkoech who managed to cover the distance in nineteen minutes and 40.6 seconds. She managed her lead against rest of the group right after covering the first lap. The efforts put by the
lost group to catch her up went in vain since Kipkoech continuously made impressive strides towards the ending tape. Behind her was Jepchirchir Kipkoech with time clocked nineteen minutes and 59.6 seconds while for a difference of 15.4 seconds further Jepchirchir
Cheruiyot bagged the third position.
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