Former World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai will lead a host of top athletes in today's North Rift Athletics Kenya Track and Field Championships at Kenyatta Stadium in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
The former World Cross Country Junior silver medalists who has returned from sabbatical leave won 5,000m title during Elgeyo Marakwet County championships. She leads her county in the regional competitions against hosts Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana and Samburu as they surge to select a good team ahead of national trials for World cross country championships in Doha, Qatar.
The cross country sensational runner also finished 7th at the World Youth 3,000m in 2007, followed by a 10th position at World Cross Country and improved to 7th in the 2017 event before winning in Kampala in 2017.
She clocked 15:56.3 for the title ahead of Edna Cherotich (16:00.3) and Beatrice Cheserek who finished in 16:41.1.
In men’s 5,000m event Michael Kibet will lead the category after winning in 13:40.2 beating Daniel Simiyu to second in 13:41.4 as Mark Lumukei ended the podium places timing 14:15.5.
Collins Kemboi and Lydia Njeri were 1,500m winners in men and women respectively. Kemboi timed 3:48.1 ahead of Stephen Kipkoech in 3:50.0 and Amos Kibet in 3:50.6, while Njeri won in 4:18.4 ahead of Nancy Jepkemoi (4:19.1) and Mercy Cherop in 4:32.3.
