Chepkoech, Chebet to battle at Police Cross Country showpiece
Beatrice Chepkoech crosses the finishing line to win the senior women's 10km race during the Police Cross Country Championships at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on January 6, 2023.
What you need to know:
- In his 14 races across the distances last year, Simiu returned a top two finish including the two World Championships on track and road before ending the year with victory at Kolkata 25km in December.
- Those who will challenge Simiu for the title are African Games 5,000m champion Robert Kiprop and Edwin Bett, who finished second at the Great Chepsaita Cross Country in December, having won bronze in 10,000m at the Police meet last year.
Defending champion Beatrice Chepkoech and World Cross Country champion Beatrice Chebet go head-on at the Kenya Police Service Cross Country championships on Friday at the Ngong Racecourse ground.
The men’s battle will be an open affair in the absence of the nine-time defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor, but multi-world silver medallist Daniel Simiu has a slight edge over the field.
Chepkoech, the 2019 World 3,000m steeplechase champion, who settled for silver at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, won her maiden Police cross-country title last year, on her return from injury.
Chepkoech edged out surprise package Gladys Kwamboka to second place as the 2013 World 5,000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono settled third as Chebet, the world 5,000m bronze medallist, came fifth on her debut.
Friday's lineup is a replica of last year's with 2022 champion Caroline Nyaga, who settled sixth last year, seeking to recapture her title.
Police head coach Isaac KIrwa disclosed Sheila Chelangat, who won both the Kenya Police and national titles in 2020 and 2021, will be making a return from maternity break.
“Our athletes are top shape considering that we have a busy season that also starts too early,” said Kirwa, adding that the championships will prepare their athletes who have been invited for the Sirikiwa Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour scheduled for February 3 at the Lobo Village, Eldoret.
Sirikwa Classic will be used by Athletics Kenya to select Team Kenya for the Africa Cross Country due on February 25 in Tunis, Tunisia.
Chebet, the reigning Commonwealth Games 5,00m champion, enjoyed a relatively good 2023 season where she won the world cross country and world 5km titles, besides claiming bronze in 5,000m at the World Championships.
On New Year’s eve, Chebet set a new world record in 5km (women only), winning the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona, Spain in 14:13, disseminating the previous time of 14:19 held by Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye from the same course in 2021.
Interestingly, Agnes Ngetich equaled Chebet’s time (though mixed race) on her way to breaking the 10km world record at Valencia Iberacaja 10km race on January 14.
Chebet, 23, is fresh from winning her first Elgoibar Juan Muguerza International Cross in Spain on January 9, while Chepkoech, 32, settled 14th at the Valencia Iberacaja 10km.
Chelangat competed last on New Year’s Eve at the São Silvestre International 15km Race in Brazil where she settled second in 51:35, while Nyaga’s last race was in October when she won the Malaga Half Marathon.
Simiu, who claimed silver medals in the 10,000m at the World Championships and World Half Marathon last year, lost the battle to Kamworor at the Police cross last year, settling second.
Simiu, 28, who won the Campaccio-International Cross Country on January 6 in Italy, settled sixth on his debut at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships last year.
In his 14 races across the distances last year, Simiu returned a top two finish including the two World Championships on track and road before ending the year with victory at Kolkata 25km in December.
Those who will challenge Simiu for the title are African Games 5,000m champion Robert Kiprop and Edwin Bett, who finished second at the Great Chepsaita Cross Country in December, having won bronze in 10,000m at the Police meet last year.
