Podium perfection at Ol Kalou
By David Macharia, November 21, 2023
Edwin Bett from the Police and Cynthia Chemweno from KDF clinched victories in the men’s and women’s senior races, respectively, at the Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County, leg of the Athletics Kenya cross-country meet held over the weekend.
The win marked an improvement for both athletes, who had previously secured second positions in the Sotik, Bomet County, leg of the series just two weeks earlier.
Bett explained that he set a blistering pace in the 10km race to take advantage of his excellent form and break away from his competitors early in the race.
As the race progressed at the Ol Kalou Arboretum, the lead group dwindled to four runners: Bett, Emmanuel Kiprop, Justice Sossion, and Cornelius Kemboi of Elgeyo Marakwet County.
By the halfway mark, only Kiprop and Sossion managed to keep up with Bett. However, Kiprop eventually fell behind, leaving Sossion as the sole runner to accompany the eventual winner.
With two laps remaining, Sossion from Nyahururu faltered and finished sixth in 30:19.6. Kemboi secured second place in 29:43.9, while Kiprop took third place in 29:46.8.
Chemweno regarded her victory in the senior women’s 10km race as a “surprise” due to the challenging Ol Kalou course, reminiscent of the conditions faced in Sotik (Bomet County) the previous week.
Clocking in at 33:22.7, Chemweno expressed her aim to represent the national colors again after previously being part of the Kenyan team at the World Cross in Australia.