by Justin LagatThis was Justin Lagat’s piece on the new Koitalel Nandi Road Race, which took place last weekend.
Wonderful commentation from Wilfred Bungei who knows the terrain very well and could even predict what is to happen next in the race! He could even tell the names of spectators along the course!! @ntvkenya pic.twitter.com/7ShoL1PHRe
— Justin Lagat🇰🇪 (@LagatJustin) December 12, 2021
The inaugural Koitalel Nandi Road Race that was to happen on 17th October this year to remember the Nandi leader and freedom fighter, Koitalel Samoei had to be postponed following the death of Agnes Tirop. The race happened this weekend on the 12th of December with a new theme of ending gender based violence against women.
The 15km race started at Kapsabet town and ended in Nandi Hills’ Stadium in the neighboring green town surrounded by tea plantations. It is a net downhill route by the hilly terrain made the race nonetheless tough.
Watching it live from a local TV station that had Wilfred Bungei , the 2008 Olympic 800m champion as the announcer, was so informative. Bungei was born somewhere around this course and he would say when the runners were about to tackle a hilly section on the route and for how long. I remember when he commented about the leading pack of ten women that they would stretch out in the next three or so minutes due to an upcoming section on the course and sure indeed, the race turned into a single file.
Around 15 minutes into the women’s 15km race, Kapsabet to Nandi Hills is a net downhill. pic.twitter.com/Vyy3YVN7qX
— Justin Lagat🇰🇪 (@LagatJustin) December 12, 2021
Despite Kapsabet being the training place for Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic marathon champion, and the women here knowing the race route very well the top two positions of the women’s race went to runners from Iten. Beatrice cheserek, paced by her husband to the finish, finished first ahead of Jackline Chelal.
However, it wasn’t the same case in the men’s race. Amos Kiplagat from Kapsabet won the race. The fact that he trains in Kapsabet might have given him some advantage of knowing the course well. He had preserved his energy for the last stages of the race that would be hilly. Samuel Tarbei Naibei from Iten took the second position.
The event organizers promised to make the race an annual event and to make it even bigger next time. Following up on the theme to end the GBV, the county government of Nandi promised to set up an office inside the Kipchoge Sports Complex to counsel sportspeople who may be having issues in their relationships.
