As expected, Kenya win the big ones, Ethiopia the small ones

Mighty Kenya once again showed who are the rulers of cross country running, winning men’s and women’s senior titles at the 41st edition of the championships held in chilly conditions at the picturesque Qingzhen Training Base in Guiyang, China, Saturday.

Geoffrey Kipsang just had that much extra bit of wind to take the senior men’s 12km gold in a time of 34 minutes 52 seconds, edging out compatriot and national champion Bedan Karoki who finished second in 35:06.

Fighting Muktar Edris of Ethiopia was burnt by the searing pace set by the Kenyan duo to settle for bronze in 35:06.

The fair crowd at the race course could not help but burst out in appreciative, spontaneous cheer after being treated to a master class of distance running by the experts of off road bipedal racing.

“The race was very competitive but I thank God we won. We did team work and maintained a good pace that broke the field. The rest was between him (Karoki) and me. I’m happy we won,” said an ecstatic Kipsang.

Earlier, Kenya’s 19-year-old Agnes Jebet displayed a maturity beyond her years to smartly win the senior women’s 8km race in 26 minutes 1 second, beating the hard-chasing Ethiopians (26.06) and Netsanet Gudeta (26:11) to second and third place respectively.

Pre-race favourite and two-time winner Emily Chebet finished sixth in 26:18.

“I knew the Ethiopian threat was real. When I hit the front they kept pushing to pass me but I told myself I will not let anyone through. I knew if I allowed that things would be difficult. I thank God and my coaches for this win. I did not expect it,” the-baby faced Jebet said.

TWO-HORSE AFFAIR

Kenya, however found the going tough in junior races. Yasin Haji won the junior men’s 8km race in 23.42 as Ethiopia retained the individual title they won in 2013 in Bydgoszcz.

Kenya’s Geoffrey Korir, who finished fourth at the national trails, looked to have wrapped up the race after leading for the greater part of the last lap only for Haji to make his move 40 metres to the end.

Korir timed 23.47 for silver with compatriots Alfred Ngeno settling for bronze in 23.54 to hand Kenya the consolation team gold Junior women 6km was disastrous for Kenya as Ethiopia showed them scant respect to sweep the podium and the team title.

Kenya’s Daisy Jepkemei, Winfred Mbithe and Kenyan-turned-Bahraini Desi Mokonin had set the early pace before tall Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey burst in front with less than a kilometer to go to lead compatriots Dera Dida and Etagegn Woldu to a 1-2-3 finish in 19.48 minutes, 19.49 and 19.53 respectively.

Jepkemei clocked 19.59 to place fourth while Gladys Jepkoech finished seventh in 20.13 and Ruth Jebet ninth in 20.20 followed by Mbithe in 20.31.

But the big ones are the senior races and Kenya was on top of their game.

In an exact repeat of the Kenya trails held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi in February, only this time at the fast growing Chinese city and watched by an appreciative crowd that lined up the coarse, team captain Kipsang and Karoki turned the senior men’s race into a two-horse affair.

In a clearly planned outing, Kipsang, who loves front running like fish likes water, set the early pace with Philip Langat and a scattering of Ethiopian, Bahraini-turned-Kenyan and Ugandan runners intermittently taking the lead.

By the 6km mark the race had developed into a Karoki, Kipsang versus Edris, and country mate and 2013 junior world champion Hogas Gebrhiwet.

But the Kenyan pair worked on their fartlek – high pace, slow pace running – to break down Edris. As the crowd watched in awe and anticipation, Kipsang and Karoki hit the line for the final 2-km lap with anyone’s guess who would win. “We wanted to break the Ethiopians and once we were in front it did not matter who would win,” said Kenya team coach David Letting.

Karoki surged in front only for Kipsang, beaten by the same man at the national trials, to reel him in.

Kipsang then made his decisive move with just under a kilometre to go and when Karori began looking back – presumably to guard a silver medal finish – the writing for the race’s result was on the wall.

“After the 10th kilometre when we saw we had helped each other and opened a big enough gap it was now a matter of maintaining. In my mind after that I said, fine, whoever wins from here, whoever comes second, it will be alright,” said Karoki.

Both runners said they will now shift attention to the World Athletics Championships that will be held in August in Beijing.