Kericho County’s Bernard Kitur and Caroline Kilel beat a strong field of 300 marathoners to clinch this year’s Kisii Half Marathon titles yesterday.
Bernard Kitur
Running for Chebilbelek Athletics Club, Kitur withered the hilly terrain to emerge winner returning home in 1:04.41 closely followed by Joseph Kiprop at Jogoo Primary School.
Kitur almost lost to Kiprop in the homestretch but released a finishing kick that propelled him to victory.
Veteran Nicolas Togom clocked 1:04.46 to clinch third position while Hezra Sang followed in 1:04.41 relegating pre-race favourite Leonard Langat of Njerian Club to fifth place.
Henry Chirchir of Kericho finished sixth in 1:05.03 while homeboys Geoffrey Bundi and Declerk Omari of Girango Youth Sports Centre finished outside the award bracket at positions 12 and 13 respectively.
Speaking after emerging victorious, Kitur described the course as tough because of the hilly terrain coupled with hot weather.
“I was expecting to win despite stiff competition from Langat,” he said.
He said he used the race in preparation for the Berlin Marathon slated for November this year.
In the women’s category Kilel of Adidas Club successfully defended her crown which she won last year leading from the start to the finish line in 1:15.23 followed by Alice Timbilil of Nandi in 1:15.42.
Familiar ground
The duo maintained the lead but Kilel running on familiar ground broke off at 17km at Gesarara area along the Kisii-Nyamira road never to look back again.
Lucy Laivoga of Kericho came third in 1:16.45 followed by Janet Rono of Keiyo in 1:17.30 while home girl Caroline Nyakagwa of Keroka returned in 1:18.16 in fifth position during the race that was dominated by runners from the tea growing county.
Nyakagwa got a standing ovation from home fans as she raced to the finish line.
Kilel, 29, described the race as challenging saying she didn’t expect a win. “I used this race to improve my speed work ahead of the Frankfurt Marathon in Germany on October 29,” she said.
Kilel and Kitur train at Kericho under the tutelage of seasoned coach Sammy Bii.
David Nyamache was the oldest entrant in the race at 70 years and finished at position 139.
The Safaricom sponsored race is one of the series that the mobile phone service provider has introduced in the Marathon Category.
Teams are expected compete for bonus cash awards at the end of the fourth race in the series which will be held in Kisumu City marathon in December.
The winners in each category received SH50,000 from Athletics Kenya Nyanza South Chairman Peter Angweny while first runners up took home Sh25,000 while third placed finishers got Sh10,000.
The cash award trickled down to the 10th position.
By ROBERT NYASATO, The Standard
