Age just but a number for Prisons’ duo

For Catherine “The Great” Ndereba and Edith Masai, age is just but a number.

And the duo will prove it when they come up against upcoming athletes in the Kenya Prisons Cross Country championships programmed for Saturday at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College grounds in Ruiru.

Ndereba, 36, and Masai, 42, confirmed participation yesterday at a ceremony where Kenya Prisons senior deputy commissioner Daniel Mutua received sponsorship from Kenya Commercial Bank and Nairobi Sports House.

KCB director-group treasury division, Timothy Kabiru, presented a cheque worth Sh200, 000 while Nairobi Sports House donated trophies.

The two-time reigning World Marathon champion, Ndereba and Masai, who won the World Cross Country short course thrice, said they would use the championships as their preparations for the upcoming road races season.

Ndereba, with a personal best of 2:18:47, won silver in marathon at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games while Masai is fresh from winning the Singapore Marathon in December.

World title defence

However, Ndereba is spoilt of choice whether to race at London Marathon or Boston before focusing on defending her World title at the World Championships slated for August in Berlin, Germany.

“I have upped my gears in training for either London or Boston this spring before focusing on my world title defence,” said Ndereba, who is currently training in Nairobi under her local coach and husband Anthony Maina.

“Ndereba is still in the same form as to when she won silver in Beijing in August,” said Maina adding that she plans to run faster this season thought not aiming at reclaiming her world record.

“Her presence at the cross country is purely for speed work.” Masai said that she is planning her maiden assault at the London Marathon before concentrating on making the team for the World Championships.

“I’m looking for speed and encourage the upcoming athletes. However, if they dilly-dally, I will as well as crush them,” said Masai.

Ndereba and Masai missed last year’s event where the World Youth 3000m steeple chase gold medallist Christine Kambua Muyanga won.