Great Performance by Kenyans in Bydgoszcz, by Justin Lagat, note by Larry Eder

The 2013 World Cross Country Championships, held yesterday, March 24, 2103 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Justin Lagat, our Kenyan correspondent, gave us his perception of the Kenyan performances in Poland. The conditions were tough, and Kenya did well in the women’ senior and junior, men’s junior and had a tough time in the men’s senior team title…..

GREAT PERFORMANCE BY KENYANS IN BYDGOSZCZ, by Justin Lagat

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the Nation Media Group in Kenya for providing free live coverage of the IAAF world cross country championships event to Kenyans via their TV station, Qtv. It was the only station that did that today in Kenya, and coupling this with their recent launch of a sports magazine, called Sporton, and having Lornah Kiplagat, the famous long distance runner, as one of its columnists, I think they are doing the right thing for the running sport in the country. Other media houses should emulate them.

The 12km senior men’s event was the most interesting event to watch. Unlike the other races, it wasn’t a competition between the usual two countries. For the first six Kilometers, a huge crowd was able to maintain its grip on the leading pack. I could see US, Australian, Ugandan, Eritrean, Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes all exchanging the lead. 

Even with less than a kilometer remaining, four countries were still with a possibility of winning the individual title. There were still five athletes in the lead: Two Ugandans, a Kenyan, Ethiopian and an Eritrean. It was a tense moment.

About 400 meters to the finish line, Japheth Korir of Kenya began to open a gap, leaving Iman Merga of Ethiopia and Teklemariam of Eritrea to battle it out for the second place with the two Ugandans, Kipsiro and Toroitich following closely behind.

Although Kenya won the individual title in the senior men’s race, Ethiopia won the team title followed by USA. Kenya settled for the third place. There were two accidents that may have cost the Kenyan team the title. One of the athletes fell down in the second lap, then some athlete stepped on Jonathan Ndiku’s running shoe and he had to step out of the race. Anyway, I guess cross country is not only about running alone, but being careful to avoid falls and jostling as well.

There was a different scenario in the senior women’s race in which the field soon became a contest between the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes barely before the first one kilometer was over. Five Kenyans and three Ethiopians dominated the leading pack early in the race before Hiwot Ayalew of Ethiopia began to surge forward at a higher speed that forced the pack to disintegrate into a single file.  Kenya’s Emily Chebet maintained some distance behind her until the last 200m when she was able to catch up with her and sprinted to the finish. Kenya took the team title followed by Ethiopia and Bahrain took the third position.

Like he did at the national trials in Nairobi, Kenya’s Leornard Barsoton maintained the lead for most of the second half of the race, only to be outsprinted by Hagos Gebrewit towards the finish. Ethiopia took the team title, Kenya became second while Morocco completed the list of top three.

Faith Chepng’etich did not disappoint the many predictions fans had made about her chances to win in the junior women’s race as she led her compatriot Agnes Tirop to win the first two positions. Ethiopia’s Alemitu Heroye managed to prevent a podium sweep for Kenyans by pushing Caroline Kipkirui to the fourth position. Kenya took the team title here followed by Ethiopia, then Britain in the top three positions.

6km Junior Women:

8km junior Men:

8km senior women:

12km senior men:

Well, the much awaited and highly anticipated cross country event is now over. Now that it has been turned into a biannual event, the next one will happen in 2015 in China. It leaves me wondering whether the long wait will serve to popularize the event more, or to kill it. 

With the long wait, I believe that most fans will get to 2015 when they have forgotten who the defending champions will be.