NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 28 – Emmanuel Bor and Judy Cherotich battled the punishing hot weather conditions to win the inaugural Sharon Live On 10km run in Kisumu on Thursday.
Kapsabet-based Bor clocked 29:44.16 to emerge victorious beating Daniel Buret to second in 29:56.07 while Lameck Mwakio sealed the podium in 30:20.56.
Bor, who finished sixth at the Chemususu Dam Half Marathon, was calling the shots for the better part of the race in a leading pack of 15 athletes before breaking away at the 7km mark.
Buret reacted to Bor’s pace trailing him but the victorious runner controlled the pace and later opening a 200m gap leaving his competitor behind as he winded through the streets of Kisumu town to breast the tape at Sport Ground.
Delighted by the victory, Bor said he was using the race as preparation for his marathon debut in Portugal later in the year.
“The competition here was very tough and I had to wittily calculate my moves after halfway. I ensured that I maintained the group pace before I went in front,” he said.
“When I increased the pace, others dropped and I knew they couldn’t catch up with me. The challenge was to plan no how to break away from my opponent Buret who at the 8km mark he was still behind me. I tried upping the pace and he didn’t respond,” he added.
-Cherotich victory-
In the women’s category, the battle was between Judy Cherotich and Esther Borura who ran shoulder-to-shoulder until the remaining 50 metres.
Cherotich timed 36:35.82 for the victory while Borura settled second in 36:36.92 as Emily Jemutai finished third in 37:47.62.
At the gun, Cherotich stayed in the second leading pack after 3km before surging forward with Borura at the halfway.
The duo then exchanged the leads for about two kilometres eventually running side-by-side when their plan to outdo each other failed.
But Cherotich was too smart for her opponent when she outsprinted her in the remaining 50 metres to win the race.
“I came here only to try my best and I never expected a victory. However, I am very excited for the win,” said Cherotich who placed ninth at the Chemususu Dam half marathon this month.
She is now focusing on the Africa Cross Country Championships next year.
“From now I will be training for different races and next year I want to represent Kenya at the cross Country,” Cherotich, who resides in Kerich stated.
The race dubbed ‘Run4Rabies’ is the brainchild of Athletics Kenya’s Nairobi branch chairman Barnaba Korir after her daughter Sharon Jepchumba died in 2004 after being bitten by a rabid dog.
“We chose to do sensitization on rabies after my daughter died of the same when she was bitten by a dog. We are celebrating her on this World Rabies Day,” Korir said.