Chespol, Nyairera star attractions at Prisons track meet
What you need to know:
- Among those to compete in men’s 5,000m for 10,000m selection are defending Cornelius Kangogo, who will take on Thomas Longosiwa among other. Prisons 10,000m champion Alice Aprot will defend her title against 2016 Paris Marathon champion Visiline Jepkesho and Cathrone Syokau.
- The Africa 10,000m silver medallist Winfred Kimitei will defend his 5,000m against veteran and Africa 5,000m bronze medallist Mangata Ndiwa and Alfred Barkach, while the women’s 5,000m battle has attracted Eunice Mumbua, Nancy Nzisa and Rosemary Wanjiru.
Commonwealth silver medallists Timothy Cheruiyot (1,500m), Cellphine Chespol (left) (3,000m steeplechase) and Margaret Nyairera (800m) are among the elite athletes set to light up Kenya Prisons Service Championships starting Friday at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
However, Cheruiyot, who is fresh from winning the Diamond League legs of Shanghai and Rome, will take part in 800m while Chespol, the World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase champion, will race in 1,500m.
Cheruiyot, the 2017 World 1,500m silver medallist, who won last year’s Prisons 1,500m title is seeking to snatch the 800m title from Nicholas Kiplagat in a race that also has the 2011 World 1,500m silver medallist Silas Kiplagat, World Under-20 1,500m champion Kumari Taki and Leonard Kosencha among others. "I will be looking to refine my speed,”" said Cheruiyot.
Nyairera, the Rio Olympics 800m bronze medallist, will seek to defend her 200m and 400m titles in the two-day championships.
The championships has been been sponsored to a tune of Sh3.5 million by Safaricom, County Pension Fund, Coca Cola Company, Magereza Sacco Society, Prisons Sports Council, Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Cooperative Bank of Kenya and Athletics Kenya.
Deputy Commissioner General Prisons Benjamin Njoga, who is also the AK Prisons chairman. said that their 10,000m athletes will battle in 5,000m so as to avoid burn out ahead of the National Championships staring Thursday at Kasarani.
However, Njoga said their 5,000m athletes will battle in their respective events, where the women’s final is due Friday with men battling it out on Saturday.
Among those to compete in men’s 5,000m for 10,000m selection are defending Cornelius Kangogo, who will take on Thomas Longosiwa among other. Prisons 10,000m champion Alice Aprot will defend her title against 2016 Paris Marathon champion Visiline Jepkesho and Cathrone Syokau.
The Africa 10,000m silver medallist Winfred Kimitei will defend his 5,000m against veteran and Africa 5,000m bronze medallist Mangata Ndiwa and Alfred Barkach, while the women’s 5,000m battle has attracted Eunice Mumbua, Nancy Nzisa and Rosemary Wanjiru.
