NAIROBI, Kenya, October 15 – The 2018 Valencia 10km champion Sandrafelis Chebet won the senior women’s 10km race as the 2023/2024 Athletics Kenya Cross Country season began in Machakos on Saturday.
Chebet clocked 34:02.6 to cross the finish line first ahead of the Lemotit duo of Mercy Chepkorir (35.04.4) and Teresa Cherotich (35.09.1) in second and third respectively.
In the senior men’s division, Kenya Defence Forces’ (KDF) Vincent Mutai timed 29:39.1 to take top honours as Machakos’ Arthunus Kioko (29:42.2) and Kenya Police’s Brian Kiptoo (30:07.6) who came second and third.
This was Mutai’s second win in two weeks following his first-place finish after he clocked 1:00:35 to win the Cardiff Half Marathon in Wales at the beginning of October.
In the men’s under-20 8km race, Keringet’s Clinton Mutai clocked 23:20.6 to take first place as the Nakuru pair of Vincent Kibet (23:48.7) and Shadrack Kemboi (23:52.7) had to be content with the next two places.
The women’s under-20 6km race was clinched by Lemotit’s Diana Chepkemoi who stopped the timer at 19:58.1, ahead of Kaptagat’s Sylvia Chelagat (20:11.3) and fellow campmate, Florence Chepkoech (20:30.1) in second and third respectively.
The next leg of the cross country series is set for next weekend in Kapsokwony, Nandi County.
