Former Amsterdam champ Chemjor takes the 21km title

Former Amsterdam marathon champion Magdaline Chemjor is the new winner of the Standard Chartered Nairobi half marathon race while Ernest Kebenei claimed the men’s title.

In the 10km race, Pamela Lisoreng was too strong for her rivals as she raced to the tape in 32:18:13. The Kenya Prison’s long distance runner took home Sh100,000 prize money with Alice Jepkemboi 33:21:00 and Milka Cherotich 33:21:04 settling for second and third places respectively.

Wilfred Mangoe 28:13:08 was fast enough to wrest the men 10km race title ahead of Philip Kiprono Lang’at 28:34:07 and Gordon Mugi 28:38:01. But for Chemjor, it was just another training exercise for her. Her target is to race in Singapore marathon next month and she was keen to test her preparedness. She clocked 1:12:18 to take home the Sh150,000 prize money for the half marathon.

A teacher by profession, Chemjor represented Kenya in 2003 World Cross country championship finishing fifth in the 8km senior women’s race . She has,. however been focussed on road running and was making her first show in local marathon race.

Feels good

“It feels good to run home. I have been doing all my competition abroad but now I know how it feels to run before your own people,” she said. Chemjor stopped the clock at 1:12:18 ahead of Consolata Yadaa 1:12:47 while 22-year-old Pamela Bundotich was third in 1:12:50. It was also Bundotich’s first show in the race but she now has her sights on the full marathon.

In the men’s half marathon, Kebenei, edged out former cross country man Barnabas Kosgei of the armed Forces. Kebenei, a veteran half marathon runner, is winner in Ohio and Toulouse but was obstructed from the start and had to dig deep before catching up with the group after about 6km.

Switched gears

“I relaxed after that and recouped keeping pace with the others. Then I switched gears and saw nobody was closing the gap,” said the 24-year-old Kibenei. Kosgei, said frustration and bias in selection in track and cross country races forced him to move to road running and is keen to show his coaches they were wrong.

“I am now prepared to move up to marathon. Here there is no selection headache and I believe I will be able to cope well. This is my third road race, I ran in Paris and finished third. Two more half marathon race and I believe I will be ripe for marathon,” said Kosgei.