Cherono guns down track rivals

PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Gladys Cherono competes with Doris Changeiywo and Linet Chepkirui during the Kenya Defence Forces Athletics Championship women’s 5,000m final at Safaricom Stadium on May 13, 2014. Cherono won in 16:49.8.

What you need to know:

  • Kiprop beats strong challenge to snatch men’s 10,000 metres title at Kasarani Stadium
  • Cherono (Kahawa), who is also the reigning Africa 10,000m and 5,000m champion, was home and dry in 16 minutes 49.8 seconds, beating former KDF Cross Country champion Lynet Chepkirui (Moi Air Base) to second in 16:52.1. Thika’s Gladys Chemweno settled for third in 17:02.0.

World 10,000m silver medallist Gladys Cherono pulled from a forest of legs with four laps to go to win the Kenya Defence Forces Athletics Championships 5,000m women’s title at Kasarani on Tuesday.

Cherono (Kahawa), who is also the reigning Africa 10,000m and 5,000m champion, was home and dry in 16 minutes 49.8 seconds, beating former KDF Cross Country champion Lynet Chepkirui (Moi Air Base) to second in 16:52.1. Thika’s Gladys Chemweno settled for third in 17:02.0.

“My body feels great, this being my first major event locally,” said the 30-year-old Cherono, who won the World Half Marathon title in season best time of 1:07:28 on March 29 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

SEEK TO RETAIN TITLE

Cherono, the winner of the 10,000m race during the national trials for the 2013 Moscow World Championships, where she won silver, will again seek to retain her 10,000m title for Kahawa Thursday.

“This will be my last event before I fully focus on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games,” said Cherono. “I want to concentrate on 10,000m where I will go for nothing short of victory.” Cherono, who boasts of personal best 14:47.12 in 5,000m and 30:29.23 in 10,000m, will be in Eldoret where she will be training under coach Joseph Cheromei ahead of the Club Games.

The 2007 World Cross Country senior men’s 12km silver medallist Vincent Kiprop from Kahawa beat strong challenge from Wilson Too and Laikipia Air Base’s Kiplimo Kimutai to win the men’s 10,000m title.

Kiprop, who secured bronze at the 2011 World Cross, stayed behind leader Too and Kiplimo until the last two laps when he hit the front and never looked back.

Kiprop retreated to let Kiplimo take the lead until just after the bell when he took off with Too and Kiplimo chasing in vain.

Kiprop claimed victory in 29:04.6 as Too took silver in 29:06.4 ahead of Kiplimo in 29:10.5.

Caroline Cherotich from Kahawa retained women’s Pole Vault title after scaling 2.9m, to beat Priscah Nasimiyu (Isiolo) 2.4 and Sarah Chepchumba (Nanyuki) 2.3m.

Pauline Matanu (Embakasi) posted 5.57m to win women’s long jump final as Priscah Nasimiyu took silver in 541. Sharon Muli (LAB) won bronze in 5.27m.

In men’s 400m, Commonwealth Games champion Mark Mutai (MAB) continued to polish his act ahead of his title defence, winning his heat in 48seconds, beating Boniface Mucheru (Nanyuki) 48.3 and Geoffrey Namudany (MAB) 49.8.

Mutai and Mucheru are in the team to Bahamas World Relays.