Chebet rules 10K at third AK Track and Field meet

Emily Chebet claimed the women’s 10,000m top honors at the third Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field weekend meeting held at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.

Chebet won the first tartan track competition at a slow time of 33 minutes 59.4 seconds ahead of Faith Lingaa (35:01.0) and Caren Chebet who clocked 35:31.3.

“It’s my first track competition this season and I’d come to test if my body is responding well to training. So far my endurance is not that bad but I have to work harder to make next year’s Africa Cross Country Championships and Commonwealth Games team,” Chebet told Citizen Digital post-race.

Organisers of the two-day event were forced to start a bit later than scheduled as athletes delayed in Nairobi where they had been invited for Wednesday night’s AK Golden Gala awards ceremony.

Some of the world beaters that graced the occasion include; Olympic 800m bronze medalist Magret Nyairera, World 1,500m champions Elijah Managoi and his younger brother George as well as their teammate, World silver medalist  and 2017 Diamond League trophy winner Timothy Cheruiyot.

Nyairera competed in the women’s 1,500m to test her endurance as she steps up preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

George qualified for Saturday’s 1,500m finals after clocking 3 minutes and 46.8 seconds. He will battle for the top podium place against Justus Soget (3:46.5), Benjamin Kigen and World Under 20 champion Kumari Taki.

In the second final of the day John Muritu took the men’s 5,000m title in 13:43.08 ahead of Jonathan Muia (13:46.0) and Cheruiyot (13:51.5).