By OMULO OKOTHA strong team of six men and an equal number of women will represent Kenya at the IAAF World Half-Marathon in Nanning, China on October 9.
In the team are last year’s world cross country champion Florence Kiplagat, who won the Lille half marathon in France last Saturday (67:40) and is ranked fourth in the world.
Also in the team is Olympian Peninah Arusei, who was second (67:48) in the Lille Half-Marathon and Agnes Kiprop who was fifth in Boston City marathon 2009.
Her best time in half-marathon is 68:48 which she ran in Ras Alkhaima. Other women in the team are Flomena Cheyech Daniel, Sarah Chepchirchir and Pascalia Chepkorir, who is a reserve.
Moses Mosop ‘Engine Kubwa’, who won bronze in the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, is in the mean’s team.
He was second in the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, and is ranked third (59.20) in world half-marathon.
Also in the team is last year’s national 10,000m champion Sammy Kirop Kitwara, whose 59.34 has put him fourth in world ranking and Silas Kipruto, ranked fifth with a time of 59:49 in the world.
African and Kenyan 10,000m champion Wilson Kiprop, who debuted in the world half-marathon in Lille last Saturday and won in 59:39 which has put him sixth in world ranking is another member of the team.
Others are Martin Irungu Mathathi and Titus Masai.
Kenya will be out to defend the world team titles for both men and women, which they have won for the past four years consecutively.
Both teams will also chase the individual titles to emulate the World Cross Country team’s performance in Poland early 2010. Athletic Assistant Secretary General, Ibrahim Hussein will manage the team.
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