Levi Matebo registered his second win at the annual Tegla Loroupe Peace Race (13) as the event’s new course proved to be a fast one.
The new 9940-metre route that was designed to provide spectators with more action, according to coach David Letting, saw the top ten male elite athletes run under 30 minutes. Matebo who has been running at this event since 2006 when he first won, broke away at the 5km mark to emerge victorious in 27:54.3.
“The new route with many parts either going downhill or flat proved easy and this made me to decide to break away at the halfway point to burn out any serious challenge,” Matebo said after the race.
The event now in its eighth edition was founded by former marathon queen Tegla Loroupe to foster peace among the warring communities in northern Kenya and parts of Uganda and Sudan.
Philemon Yator finished three seconds behind Matebo to take the second position in 27:57.3, ahead of Paul Lonyagat who was third in 28:03.9.
A former two-time winner David Plimo who has been a regular participator this time managed seventh position in 28:23.0.
The women race was taken by another regular face in the event Pamela Lisoreng in 32:51.0. She beat second placed Betty Wilson by three seconds. Betty clocked 32:54.0.
Despite being held at the same time as the second leg of the national cross country series event that was taking place in Kericho, the Tegla Loroupe Peace Race attracted a sizeable turn out. About 700 runners registered, with 200 of them being men and women warriors who are the main target of the event.
The men ‘warriors’ race’ was won by Peter Emoe from Turkana in 28:50.7 while Catherine Lometo won the women’s warrior category in 35:23.8.
There was also a 2km race for children. The National Olympic Committee chairman Kipchoge Keino was among the dignitaries and former and current athletes who sat among the spectators.
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