With the highest mountain in the country that gave Kenya her name providing the picturesque backdrop, rookie John Chepkwony and seasoned Lineth Chepkurui thrived at the Armed Forces Cross Country Championships on Saturday (22).For the watching World Cross legend that is Captain Paul Tergat, the occasion marked an emotional return to the course where he won the Forces men’s long race title at the peak of his powers in 1996 in his first public appearance since a horror road accident last month.
For Chepkwony, winning the men’s 12km race in a nail biting final sprint battle against Alex Oloitiptip where the current holder of the world title, Joseph Ebuya, failed to leave his footprint, was a bold statement of intent from the World Junior 5000m silver medallist.
Chepkurui, a fourth finisher at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz last year, employed guile to recapture the title taken from her by Iness Chenonge with a brilliantly executed tactical run.
Those were the ingredients that mixed to serve a cross country treat that played out at a dusty, windy and flat course with searing heat and punishing 6300m elevation battering, bruising and in some cases, totally sapping runners to submission.
Mt Kenya, the second highest in Africa (17,057 feet elevation at highest peak) towered over the proceedings.
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