Battle for Prisons, AP titles

Osaka 2007 world marathon champion Luke Kibet will be missing in action at Saturday’s Kenya Prisons Cross Country Championship as he is yet to recover from an Achilles tendon injury that he sustained on December 6 in winning the Singapore Marathon.

“I am disappointed I will not be running tomorrow [Saturday]. I will be at the touchline just to inspire my team and colleagues,” he said on Friday.

Kibet hobbled away from the finish line having staved off a troublesome Achilles to shatter his own course record and win the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in December in 2:11:25.

“I have to slowly start training in March and probably be fit to make another marathon attempt in Vienna, Austria.”

Licking his wounds

With Kibet licking his wounds, upcoming runners, led by sensational John Mwangangi, will get the opportunity to stage a coup on his rule. The Machakos athlete ruled the roost in the Machakos and Kapsokwony rounds of the KCB Cross Country circuit and took bronze in Eldoret.

Mwangangi’s star status as leader in the Athletics Kenya Sh1 million jackpot hunt in the senior men’s 12km race will count for nothing against his fellow servicemen at Kenya Prisons Staff Training College, Ruiru. He is up against a Headquarters team mate Thomas Longosiwa looking to make up for a poor 2009 season.

And as the two bare their knuckles against each other, Fredrick Musyoki, winner of the Embu meeting, is relishing playing the spoiler together with Timothy Kiptoo, Michael and Charles Cheruiyot.

Veteran Catherine Ndereba has raced sparingly in last six months and will be carrying no injury fears as she stakes her claim to the title in the senior women’s 8km race.

Susan Chepkemei and Margaret Okayo might have kept a low profile from competitive road races but the duo still carries enough punch. But it will be Edith Masai who will be eyeing the crown as she recovers from injury. Young runners in the cadre include Pauline Wangui, Tabitha Wambui and Caroline Kwambai.

In the periphery

While Kibet will be mark-timing in the periphery in Ruiru, his successor at the World Championship in Berlin, Abel Kirui, will be reading the riot act at the Administration Police Cross Country Championships at their Embakasi base.

Three-time Frankfurt Marathon winner Wilfred Kigen and Henry Chirchir, the Standard Chartered Nairobi 10km champion, stand out against Kirui. Others are Bethwel Birgen and Barnabas Sigei.

Women’s race defending champion Evelyne Chepchumba will put her title on the line with Sheila Chesang and Maurine Kipchumba being the favoured contenders to it.