Kenyans hot on European cross circuit

The IAAF World Cross Country Championships will not be held next year, but that hasn’t deterred top Kenyan stars from grabbing titles across the European circuit.

It’s the cross country season alright, but the fact that the world athletics governing body, IAAF, scrapped the annual global championships, settling for a biennial format instead, has taken the shine off this brand of athletics.

The next World Cross Country Championships will be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, next year and subsequently every two years.

At the weekend though, there were several wins for Kenyans with world indoor record holder, Isaiah Kiplangat Koech winning the Brussels IAAF permit race at Laken Park, covering the 10.5-kilometre course in 32 minutes and 32 seconds.

“Chairman” defeated newly-crowned European champion from Velenje, Slovenia, Atelaw Bekele (33:17) and another Kenyan Gilbert Kirui (33:19).

“This is my first race in Europe this season. I am well prepared and training is going fine,” said Koech.

“The Olympic Games are the main objective in 2012, I am already focused on London now.

“At the World Championships in Daegu I finished fourth in the 5,000m. Next year I definitely want to be in the medals.”

Major upset

It was a Kenyan double as Caroline Chepkwony (21:17) led world junior cross champion Faith Chepng’etich (21:18) across the line in the women’s six-kilometre race.

An Ethiopian living in Belgium, Almensch Belete was third in 21:25 ahead of Dutch Adrienne Herzog (21:34) while Britons Hatti Dean (21:44) and Stephanie Twell (21:45), fresh from high altitude training in Iten, were sixth and seventh.

In Houilles, France, Edwin Soi caused a major upset at the 40th Corrida de Houilles race when he floored world champion Imane Merga of Ethiopia by one second. Soi won the 10-kilometre race in 28:17.

Another double in Spain

Another Kenyan Isaac Mukundi (28:22) was third, followed by Beijing Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist Micah Kogo (28:26).

It was another Kenyan double as Margaret Muriuki won the women’s race in 31:29, beating Ethiopian Azemra Gebru (32:06) and Italian Anna Incerti (32:08).

There was yet another Kenyan double victory at Venta de Banos, Spain, where Philemon Limo and Prisca Jepleting swept the titles on a cold morning.

Limo clocked 31:57 on the 10.6km course while Jepleting was timed at 22:47 over the women’s 6.8km distance, just one second ahead of Italian Nadja Ejaffini (22:48) and home runner Dolores Checa (23:20).

Berlin 2009 World Championships steeplechase gold medallist Marta Dominguez was seventh (24:11) in her comeback races after pregnancy.