Uganda's Chekwemoi, home runner Chebolei storm to Great Chepsaita Cross

 

The Great Chepsaita winner Samuel Chebolei crosses the finish line in the race staged in Uasin Gishu. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

It is rare to see the famed Kenyan runners upstaged in their own backyard in distance running competitions.

On Saturday, that rarity turned into reality when African steeplechase champion, Loice Chepkwemoi of Uganda, signed off her favorite billing by winning the Senior Women 10km title at the second Great Chepsaita Cross Country Championships.

Home pride was, however, restored in the Senior Men's 10km showdown when Samwel Chebolei led a Kenyan podium sweep.

Upgraded to Gold Label status this year, the tournament, held 55 kilometres from the western Kenyan city of Eldoret, did not disappoint.

An estimated 15,000 spectators gathered to watch over 500 athletes from 16 countries and regions compete for honors in the main four races that counted towards World Athletics Cross Country Series points.

The huge numbers could not fit into the designated area and hundreds had to watch the action from giant screens placed around the venue, as others opted to stream the event live on mobile devices.

At the business end of the action, Kevin Kiprop Biwott (24:37) and Cynthia Chepkirui (21:17) warmed up the home fans by sealing the Kenyan double, and indeed a top ten shut out in the Men eight kilometres and Women six kilometres Under 20 races.

The 11th Gold Label Cross meeting of this season then kicked into high gear when the senior women lined up.

And after four laps around a torturous two kilometre loop course besides the sweltering heat and punishing 2,100m altitude, Chepkwemoi ensured the Ugandan anthem rang out when she clocked 34:32 to breast the tape ahead of all.

Incredibly, at 17, she was eligible to enter the women's Under 20 race- but her prodigious talent was on full display as she motored around the course to demolish a vastly experienced field.

After composed front running, she detached herself from the remaining contenders for the medals in the third lap before storming unchallenged for victory.

Chepkwemoi thus added her first senior Gold Label Cross title to the Team Bronze she won with Uganda at the Belgrade 2024 World Cross and 3,000m steeplechase silver at the 2025 World Under 20 Championships.

Victory here has now injected the talented Ugandan teenager with a huge dose of confidence to take on her seniors at the global track and field showpiece next summer.

"It's never easy you have to fight for it, I really feel so good after this win and will work to qualify for the World Championship (in Japan) next year," Chepkwemoi asserted.

Another teenager, but this time from Ethiopia, Molla Mikides Chemeles (19) clocked 35:57 for silver having also unshackled herself from the chasing pack as she tried to chase down her Ugandan rival following the breakaway.

Behind the top two, 21-year-old Celestine Biwott came in well behind to claim the final podium place for Kenya in 36:43.

Home athletes occupied the remaining seven top ten places, led by Daisilah Cherono (36:53) who finished just outside the medals in fourth.

The men's senior race was a much closer affair, with Chebolei, 23, another pre-race top seed, was among a leading pack of six that had a shout at striking gold.

Compatriots Robert Kiprop, Matthew Kipkoech, Kiplimo Naibei, Charles Rotich and Felix Kibet were the other prominent front runners.

It all came down to a final 800m sprint where Chebolei, who was part of the Kenyan Team Gold winning quartet at the Belgrade 2024 World Cross, unleashed a lesson in handling a high pressure finish.

He timed his lung-bursting final 100m dash to perfection to take top honours in 30:49.

Kiprop (30:58) edged the battle of the challengers in 30:58 for silver with Kipkoech (31:12) claiming bronze, as Kenyans swept the top 10.

And there was drama when the men's senior runners were recalled for a restart by organizers since some trailing athletes in the Senior Women's competition had not finished.

The charging men had by then crossed 500m into the opening lap when they were forced back and the ensuing frenetic restart saw some runners tripped down as they jostled for the inside channel at the first bend.

Eventually, Chebolei, a former Under 20 Team Bronze medalist from the Aarhus 2019 World Cross in Denmark, had enough in his tank to prevail.

"The competition was great, I have had to give my best since it was a tough field. After the third lap I decided to push upfront with two of my closest competitors and it came down to the last metres," the panting winner added.