Ugandan Defeats Kenyans In Eldoret

Soyekwo Kibet provided a surprise upset.

Uganda is continuting to assert itself in the running world. At the Kenya Commercial Bank Athletics Kenya cross country race in Eldoret last Saturday, Soyekwo Kibet, who comes from Bukwo Village, took off in the men’s 12K race at the halfway point and never looked back. At last summer’s Olympics, Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich won the men’s marathon, dropping two Kenyans with 5K to go in the race.

Kibet’s winning time, 34:44.5, was 15 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, Kenyan Julius Kogo (35:00.2, 3). Kenya’s Wilson Kiprop was third in 35:21.3, 4.

“Though I was not expecting it, it was easy. I did not get strong opposition as I had anticipated,” he recalled afterward. The Ugandan trains under the watchful eye of Olympic 3,000m steeplechase silver medalist Patrick Sang.

In the women’s race in Eldoret,  Hyvin Kiyeng held off Lineth Chepkirui by two seconds to take first.

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