Kisorio’s revival continues with Ndakaini win

Matthew Kisorio crosses the finish line to win UAP Ndakaini Half Marathon on September 13, 2014 in Ndakaini. Commonwealth Games silver medallist Caroline Kilel will renew rivalries with 2011 Boston Marathon champion Phyllis Ongori at the Menengai Geothermal Half Marathon on Sunday at the Rift Valley Sports Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Former Youth Olympics 3,000m champion Chesir bags women’s title
  • Elite athlete clinches second victory two months after coming back from doping ban
  • Kisorio said he is glad that he is slowly putting behind him frustrations he suffered during the lengthy ban.

The Kenya captain to the 2011 World Cross Country Championships, Matthew Kisorio on Saturday continued to retrace his steps back to stardom when he won his second race since completing a two-year doping ban.

Kisorio showed class and style as he tore the hilly course to shreds, winning this year’s UAP Ndakaini Half Marathon in 1 hour and 04:60 minutes in Murang’a County.

The 26-year-old did it emphatically by beating a number of seasoned long distance runners including Hosea Mwok Macharinyany and 2012 Berlin Half Marathon champion Nicholas Kipkemboi.

Kisorio, who finished fourth at both the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 10,000m at the 2010 African Championships, beat Macharinyany, winner of three consecutive team titles at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (2006-2008) in 1:05:37. Emmanuel Bor was third in 1:05:51 followed by Kipkemboi in 1:06:03.

The win’s 21km race was won by 2010 Youth Olympics 3,000m champion Gladys Chesir in 1:15:37, beating Beatrice Mutai (1:16:07), Jackline Chepng’eno (1:16:29) and Nancy Kimaiyo (1:17:07).

COMEBACK

Kisorio, who made a comeback to win the Safaricom Jaramogi Oginga Odinga 15km Road race in Bondo a week ago, said he is glad that he is slowly putting behind him frustrations he suffered during the lengthy ban.

The athlete spoke of being ostracised to an extent of slumping into depression after he was he was slapped with a two-year ban in July 2012 for testing positive to steroids.

“It’s said that people avoided me but I never set up anyone in any doping case,” said Kisorio.

Kisorio prominently features in report by a German journalist, Hajo Seppelt, of ARD, implicating top Kenyans athletes in doping and cover-up. 

However, Kosorio maintains that he never implicated any Kenyan athlete saying the journalist only wanted to know if he knew some names he had in a list.

SELECTED RESULTS

Men half marathon:
1. Mattthew Kisorio (1:04:60), 2. Hosea Mwok Macharinyany (1:05:37), 3. Emmanuel Bor (1:05:51), 4.   Nicholas Kipkemboi (1:06:03)

Women half marathon:

1. Gladys Chesir (1:15:37), 2. Beatrice Mutai (1:16:07), 3. Jackline Chepong’no (1:16:29), 4. Nancy Kimaiyo (1:17:07)

Men 10km:

1. Amos Kaptich (29:24), 2. Franklin Ngelel (29:42), 3. John Lang’at (29:45)

Women 10km:

1. Minnium Muthoni (31:43), 2. Josphine Musau (31:43), 3. Monica Wanjohi (35:12), 4. Naomi Chepng’eno (35:19)