Philomena Cheyech winning the Mully Half Marathon on Sunday, May 14, 2017
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 14 – Commonwealth Games women’s marathon champion Philomena Cheyech braved the sweltering heat and challenging course to win the inaugural Mully Half Marathon in Yatta, Machakos County on Sunday.
In the men’s race,Sammy Dismas Nyokaye secured the title to see both the 21km winners receive Sh450, 000 winner’s purse.
Nyokaye’s win enabled him break his winless streak jinx of winning local races to register his first ever win on Kenyan soil by stopping the timer in 1:01.40.09.
Cheyech a former Paris Marathon champion graced the race to cheer her younger sister, but ended up unsurprisingly to win the race by breasting the tape in 1:09.53.0
“The competition was tough but the course was good, it was flat with few hilly areas,” said Cheyech.
Hot on Cheyech’s heels, was the Madoka Half marathon champion Lucy Cheruiyot by clocking 1:10.41in second place to pip
The 2012 Dusseldorf (Germany) marathon champion Agnes Barsosio finished in third spot by returning 1:11.18.06 as the former Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase champion Mercy Njoroge a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer found the tough going to be placed eighth in 1:13.20.09.
Sammy Dismas Nyokaye winning the men’s race.
The Nyamira based Nyokaye whose last participation in a local was in the Kisumu Marathon where he finished third finished ahead of Daniel Kipkosgei who clocked 1:01.42.04 as the Copenhagen (Sweden) marathon third place finisher completed the last podium finish in 1:01.49.03.
The Gold Coast Marathon (Australia) immediate former course record holder Nicholas Kamakya limped off after just 5km to put paid his intentions of winning.
The 2011 Africa Country silver medalist Mary Munanu won the women’s 10km race by timing 32:28.33, as the former Nandi Re- Discover 10,000m race winner Emmanuel Bor won in the men’s category by clocking 28:10.40.
The World Masters half marathon silver medalist Stephen Kamande aged 74, was the best placed veteran by finishing at the top of the log.
The Mully Half Marathon is an event organised by Mully Children’s Family (MCF) and sponsored by philanthropist Dr Charles Mulli. It was graced by former world marathon champion Patrick Makau.
The race aims to raise awareness and raise funds that will go towards the support of child mothers, street children, sexually abused girls, orphans and other categories of vulnerable children in Kenya.
