After winning the 8Km Senior Women race at the National Cross Country trials at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Saturday morning, Joyce Chepkirui said that she was motivated by the absence of world champions Vivian Cheruiyot and Linet Masai to clinch the competitive top slot.
Cheruiyot is the national and World Senior Women cross country champion while Masai finished Second in the World Championships in Penta Umbria Spain last year.
“Not that the race was easy, but the absence of the two bug names made things a little bit easier. They are experienced and very good athletes and I am sure if they would have been present, probably they would have taken 1-2”, says the winner.
Chepkirui clocked 26:08:8 just one second ahead of Margaret Wangari who finished Second. The athlete from Nyanza North had a powerful last kick to shrug off Wangare from Kenya Police and relegate her to the runner up position.
“There were holes in the last bend towards the finish line and as I tried to evade them, I slowed down and that is where Joyce beat me. It was a hard race”, she says.
Veterans Viola Kibiwott and Veronica Nyarwai finished 8th and 9th respectively.
Four athletes qualified to represent the country in South Africa. They are;
Joyce Chepkirui- 26:08:8
Margaret Wangari- 26:09:4
Edna Kiplagat- 26:12:8
Emily Chebet- 26:17:3
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