Cocky Karoki looks beyond national trials
Bedan Karoki on his way to winning the 2014 National Cross Country Championships senior men’s 12km race at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Athletes gear up for world trials at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens on Saturday.
- Ever improving All Africa Games 10,000m silver medallist eyeing Kenya and world title and more.
Two times National Cross Country champion Bedan Karoki will be looking to add a third title to his collection when the championship are held on Saturday at Uhuru Gardens.
Karoki is yet to win a major world title but with three major championships this year — World Cross Country and World Athletics Championships both in China and the Africa Championships, he has a chance of improving his rèsumè.
The World Cross Championship will be held in Guiyang, China on March 28 while the World Championships will be in Beijing from August 22 to 30.
THIS IS HIS YEAR
Karoki, the 2011 All Africa Games 10,000 metres silver medallist feels this is his year of wearing a global crown. The silver he won in the Games held in Mozambique is his highest achievement in career so far.
“The silver reminds me of my achievement but I want more,” he said after doing several 800m intervals at the high altitude Nyahururu stadium on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old runner had a fruitful last year when he improved his personal best time in six events. On the track, he has Personal Best of 13:15.25 in 5,000m and 26,52.36 in 10,000m.
On the road, he has a PB of 27:37 in 10km, 42:56 in 15km, 56:46 (20km) and 59:23 (half marathon).
The half marathon time was set in Philadelphia half marathon in America last year.
OLYMPIAD
In addition to being in the All Africa Games team in 2011, Karoki donned national colours when he represented the country in the 14th World Championships in Moscow and the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
He finished sixth and fifth respectively in the finals of 10,000m in both events.
Standing between Karoki and the team to world cross country will be top performers in senior men race in the six leg AK/KCB 2014/15 cross country series that ended last month.
Philip Langat who won in Nyahururu, Machakos and Sotik will be one of the favourites at the national meet.
The 12km men’s race will be a must-watch race that is invariably — going by history — be like a preview of the expected outcome at the World Cross Country Championships.
in Guiyang, China.
Sheila Chepngetich (senior women), Langat (senior men), Sandra Chebet (junior women) and Julius Tanki (junior men) led in the AK/KCB series and will be an attraction in their respective races on Saturday.
