Japan based 22 Year old Bernard Karoki was crowned the National 12 Km Senior Men cross country champion after shrugging off stiff competition from Timothy Kiptoo and Vincent Kiprop. Karoki who has been training in Japan for the last five years cut the tape in a time of 35;19;2 after sprinting away from Kiptoo in the last 50 metres to drop him to second place finish in a time of 35;25;00.
Race favorite Mathew Kisorio from Kenya Police finished a disappointing 8th and missed out on a chance to make it into the team that will represent Kenya in the African Cross Country Championships in Cape Town South Africa in March.
Karoki, Kiptoo and Kiprop broke away from the rest of the team in the 8Km mark and did not look back setting the strong pace to the final tape with Kiptoo maintaining the front spot. However, the last 50 Metres proved the difference as Karoki sprinted off to relegate a hard fighting Kiptoo to second.
However, Karoki will not want to be made part of the South African team instead choosing to focus on the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.
“Athletics is business and you always want to run where the stakes are higher. There won’t be much on offer in South Africa and so I would like to put my concentration on the Fukuoka marathon. I would also like to encourage organizers of the local athletics meets to increase the prize money as this will encourage more athletes to participate”, says Karoki.
Second placed Kiptoo says that the winner; Karoki, got his tactics right especially on the final bend and that is where he lost the race.
“Corners are very critical in athletics. If you negotiate one very well, then you are good to go. Karoki did a very sharp turn in the last corner and that is where he got his footing right and sped off. However, I have my eyes set on Cape town and I want to win gold for Kenya there”, he says.
The four who qualified into Kenya’s team to Cape Town are;
Timothy Kiptoo- 35:25:00
Vincent Kiprop- 35:37:00
Fredrick Musyoki- 35:41:3
William Chebon- 35:49:00
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