Unstoppable Cherono break Keitany's course record in Ottawa
Ambassador John L. Lanyasunya with the 10Km Ottawa Race winners on May 23, 2015. PHOTO | COURTESY |
What you need to know:
- The women were given a head start of 3:25 and Cherono managed to come home first.
- Kogei managed to hang on to third place in 28:16 with another Kenyan, Amos Mitei, breathing down his neck over the last kilometre to emerge fourth in 28:31.
World Half Marathon champion Gladys Cherono of Kenya crushed compatriots Mary Keitany’s course record on her way to victory at the Ottawa 10km race in Canada over the weekend.
Kenyans Nicholas Bor and Simon Cheprot staged a 1-4 sweep in an equally compelling men’s race even though Deriba Merga’s 2009 course record (27:24) was never challenged in the IAAF Gold Label event.
Cherono, the 2013 World 10,000m silver medallist, glided to victory with a personal best of 30:56 on a windy night to write off the previous record time of 31:21 that had been set by Keitany a year ago.
The victory earned Cherono both US $8,000 (Sh784,000) prize money plus US $2,000 (Sh196,000) for the course record and another US $2,000 (Sh196,000) for being the first athlete, male or female, to cross the finish line in a special ‘gender challenge’.
The women were given a head start of 3:25 and Cherono managed to come home first.
Early in the race it was her 21-year-old compatriot Peres Jepchirchir who pushed the pace, putting a gap between the pair and their pursuers. But following a long stretch where the runners faced a strong headwind, Cherono made her move.
“At 8km I started pushing,” Cherono said. “I was confident. I knew that Peres (Jepchirchir) is a strong challenger but I tried to push harder.
“I am happy for that (gender bonus). I was worried that the men were going to catch up with me but I didn’t look back.”
Jepchirchir, who has been racing both cross country and road races in Europe, was all smiles as she recounted the efforts against such a formidable opponent.
Cherono, after all, is the world half-marathon champion and boasts a 10,000m personal best of 30:29.23.
KENYAN SWEEP
On the men’s race, three Kenyans set off at a steady pace, passing the 5km mark in 14:07. David Kogei, last year’s runner-up, was dropped at about 8km as Nicholas Bor and Simon Cheprot powered on.
The pair ran together until the finish line was in sight when Bor surged ahead to emerge victorious in 27:55, two seconds ahead of Cheprot.
Kogei managed to hang on to third place in 28:16 with another Kenyan, Amos Mitei, breathing down his neck over the last kilometre to emerge fourth in 28:31.
