Commonwealth champ Cheyech scoops Saitama title

The last time Flomena Cheyech Daniel hit the headlines was at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland where she brought home a second women marathon title to her homeland in holding on to the crown won four years earlier by Irene Kosgei in Delhi, India.

On Sunday, she returned to the middle step of the podium at the second edition of the Saitama International Marathon in Japan, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race where she edged a four-way battle for the title to breast the tape in a course record of 2:23:18.

Cheyech pulled away from an ailing Ethiopian Amane Gobena (2:25:58) after 25K for her sixth career title and first in Japan, where she spent four years from 2007 running for the Uniqlo corporate team.

Compatriot Monica Jepkoech (2:28:56) rounded the podium with the third Kenyan in the top ten, Winfridah Kebaso (2:35:53) coming home in eighth.

“Today I’m very happy to win here as Japan is my second home,”  the 34-year-old Cheyech told the IAAF.

“At the beginning the pace was very fast,” Cheyech said. “But after two kilometres, three kilometres, it cooled down. And then after 15 kilometres, it started picking up.” the freshly minted champion added excitedly.

Cheyech who has not won a race since 2014 when she took the Commonwealth and Paris marathon title added she was going to work on her time as she eyes the London 2017 World Championships.

“I have not won a marathon and not run such a time [for a while], so I’m very happy,” said Cheyech, who finished fifth in Tokyo and second in Amsterdam in 2015, and sixth in Boston earlier this year. “I prepared for this race for about five months.”

Cheyech also added that she was motivated by her former team mates and friends in Japan.

“I met a friend, she was manager when I was working at Uniqlo. Before I left, she told me I have to fight [in the race], and some called me on the telephone. I think some who know me cheered me on the way.”

On a clear day with temperatures reaching 18C, the four Africans formed the top group with two pacesetters as they went through the first kilometre in 3:10.

Race officials had set a target time of 3:24 for the rabbits, and they eventually settled into that pace as the leaders went through the 5km mark in 16:51.

With the final pacesetter peeling off after 30 kilometres, Cheyech had a solo run to the finish outside Saitama Super Arena, site of the 2006 World Basketball Championship.

The course also took runners past one of the football stadiums used for 2002 World Cup.

Report compiled from the IAAF

LEADING RESULTS

1 Flomena Cheyech (KEN) 2:23:18
2 Amane Gobena (ETH) 2:25:58
3 Monica Jepkoech (KEN) 2:28:56
4 Atsede Habtamu (ETH) 2:29:44
5 Mizuho Nasukawa (JPN) 2:33:16
6 Cassie Fien (AUS) 2:33:17
7 Maryna Damantsevich (BLR) 2:34:50
8 Winfridah Kebaso (KEN) 2:35:53
9 Kaori Yoshida (JPN) 2:38:37
10 Deborah Toniolo (ITA) 2:41:39