Kamworor, Kaveke to lead World Half Marathon team

Defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor and World half bronze medallist Pauline Kaveke will lead Team Kenya for the 24th edition of the World Half Marathon due March 29 in Gdynia, Poland.

Athletics Kenya have named Kamworor, who is going for his fourth consecutive title, in the men’s team of five that includes Kibiwott Kandie, who is fresh from winning the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Half Marathon last month in the United Arab Emirates.

Before heading to United Arab Emirates where he won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 21, Kandie had handed Kenya Defence Forces its first National Cross Country title in 17 years, stunning Kamworor on February 15 at the Ngong racecourse.

Kamworor, the reigning World Half Marathon record holder, sealed his hat-trick when won the race in Valencia, Spain in 2018, beating Kenyan born Abraham Naibei Cheroben of Bahrain and Eritrean Aron Kifle to second and third places respectively.

Kamworor set his personal best of 58:01 when he set a new World Half Marathon record in Copenhagen on September 15, 2019.

Kandie also set his personal best of 58:58 when winning at RAK on February 21.

Also in the men’s team named by AK Senior Deputy President Paul Mutwii, is 2017 World Cross Country silver medallist Leonard Barsoton, who finished sixth at RAK Half Marathon and was placed 12th during the world half in Valencia.

Shadrack Kimining, who finished third at the Houston Half Marathon in January, and Guadalajara Half Marathon in February as well as Victor Chumo also make the men’s team.

Kimining, the winner of the 2016 Peterborough Half Marathon and Cardiff Half Marathon all in United Kingdom, has a personal best of 59:27 in half marathon set at Houston Half Marathon this year.

Chumo, who was among the pacesetters during the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, has a personal best of 59:58, which he set when winning the Barcelona Half Marathon on February 16.

Barsaton has a personal best of 59:09, a time he set when finishing fourth at the Valencia Half Marathon in October last year.

Kaveke will be taking her second shot at the title after she settled for bronze in a personal best of 1:06:56 in Valencia. Her team has Monica Wanjuhi, Brillian Jepkorir, Dorcas Jepchirchir and Dorcas Kimeli.

Mutwii said that they will meet the athletes before the end of this week to strategise on when they will proceed for residential training. “We shall also unveil the technical bench that will handle the team then,” said Mutwii.

Men:

Geoffrey Kamworor

Kibiwott Kandie
Leonard Barsoton

Shadrack Kimining

Victor Chumo

Women:

Pauline Kaveke

Monica Wanjuhi

Brillian Jepkorir Kipkoech

Dorcas Jepchirchir

Dorcas Kimeli Chepchumba