Seasoned athletes take top honours at AK Meet

National 400m record holder Maximilla Imali of Police warmed up for Rome Diamond League with emphatic victories in 100m and 200m as the seventh and final leg of Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meet ended in Thika on Saturday.

Kenya’s 800m queen Margaret Nyairera also blew her rivals apart to reign supreme in 400m ahead of her 800m race at Prefontaine Classic on Saturday in Eugene, USA.

National race walk champions Samuel Gathimba (Prisons) and Grace Wanjiru (Kenya Defence Forces-KDF) easily dismantled the opposition for victories in their 10km race walk events.

The 2015 World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist Lawi Kosgei ruled the roost in men’s 5,000m with Bernard Kipyegon (Nanyuki) and Lydia Jeruto wining in men and women’s 800m races.

Imali, 22, had to dig deep after a poor start before edging out teammate Millicent Ndoro to victory in 100m, clocking 11.7 seconds. Ndoro led at the halfway mark before yielding to the swift Imali in 11.9.

National 100m record holder Eunice Kadogo wrapped up the last podium place for Police in 12.2. The women’s 200m race was a replica of the 100m event as Imali led all the way, timing 24.0 to once again edge out Ndoro to second place in 24.2. Kadogo settled for third place in 24.7.

Imali, who reached women’s 400 metres final at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, said the victories were a good build up for her ahead of the Rome leg of the Diamond League on May 31.

Imali, who made her Diamond League debut in Rome in 2016, clocking 2:07.10 in the 800m race, will be the first Kenyan woman sprinter in the history of the event.

“I want to lower my PB, hopefully in Rome. My body has picked well and I look forward to a great season,” said Imali, who has personal best 51.18.

Imali said her ultimate dream this year is to win the Africa title in August and make to the IAAF Continental Cup (World Cup) due September 8-9 next year in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Newton Rotich (Police) won men’s 200m final by clocking 21.1 seconds, beating Samuel Ochukutu and Samuel Chege all from KDF in 21.5 and 21.8 respectively.

Brown Muthara clocked 10.6 for victory in 100m, beating Chege and Yassir Aslam (Mombasa) in 10.8 and 11.0 respectively.

Nyairera, who is bracing up for Olympic and World 800m champion Caster Semenya at the Prefontaine Classic, clocked 53.5 seconds to win the 400m final, beating Police duo of Veronica Mutua and Joan Cherono in 53.9 and 54.1 respectively.

Gathimba timed 39:27.8 to win men’s 10km race walk, beating Stephen Mutuku from Nyahururu in 39:44.2 as Jimmy Oromi (KDF) returned 41:31.9 for third place.

Wanjiru clocked 41.18.1 for women’s 10km race walk top honours. Individual entrant Sylvia Kemboi posted 42:36.6 for second place followed by Hellen Mutuga (Nyeri) 43:45.2 was third.

Kipyegon won men’s 800m race in 1:46.7 while Jeruto went for women’s top award in 2:04.3.
Monica Chirchir (Baringo) timed 35:08.0 to win women’s 10,000m final, beating Lonah Nyabacho (Keroka, 35:12.7) and Beatrioce Begi (Keroka, 35:29.9).