Uganda's Chekwemoi Back to Upset Apple Cart At Sirikwa Classic

18 February 2025
Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Omondi Onyatta

Uganda's Loice Chekwemoi will be back for more glory in Kenya when she competes at Saturday's Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour in Eldoret.

The teenager is among 20 foreign athletes who will be competing in the gold label event, which is the last of its kind in this cross country season.

The African 3000m steeplechase champion will be hoping for a second win on Kenyan soil following her triumph at last year's Great Chepsaita Cross Country.

Chekwemoi clocked 34:42 to clinch the senior women's 10km, ahead of Ethiopian teenager Shimeles Mekides Molla who came in second after running 35:57.

Kenya's Celestine Biwot clocked 36:43 to complete the podium.

Nonetheless, the Ugandan will have to contend with an elite competition in the senior women's 10km, including world record holder for the women's 10km road race, Agnes Jebet.

Jebet, who will be running in her first cross country race since the World Championships in Belgrade in March last year, has laid down the gauntlet.

During last week's media launch of the event, the Valencia Half Marathon champion was emphatic that the Sirikwa Classic will be a perfect preparation for a busy year in track and field as well as road races.

Other foreign runners to watch out for in the senior women's race include Viktoriia Kaliuzhna and Olga Nyzhnyk (Ukraine), Yenenesh Shimket and Asmarech Anley (Ethiopia), Silvie Valova (Czech Republic) and Martha Chemutai (Uganda).

Crowded men's race

The senior men's 10km has attracted the highest number of foreign runners, with 12 penning down their names to compete.

The foreign legion aside, competition in this category is predicted to be cutthroat with the involvement of big names such as the 2022 national cross country champion Samwel Chebolei, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) champion Kibiwot Kandie and Asbel Kiprono Kiprop.

Winners in both categories will pocket approximately Ksh 780,000, second-place finishers receive Ksh 650,000 as third-place go home Ksh 520,000 richer.

Furthermore, the top 15 finishers in both categories will be rewarded.

The two headlining races will be preceded by the under 20 women's 6km and under 20 women's where winners will pocket 162,000 as the second and third-place finishers pocket Ksh 130,000 and Ksh 104,000 respectively.

The top 10 finishers in both races will also be awarded.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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