Bomet County's Patrick Kipng'eno emerged victorious in the second edition of the Mt Kenya Mountain Running Championships on Saturday afternoon.
Kipng'eno timed 44:13.8 across the finish line in the men's 13km as Charles Katul (44:40.1) and Frederick Kamongole (44:40.6) finished second and third respectively.
"It was a tough race but my stamina and endurance won it for me in the end, I guess. I also won the Mount Longonot championship in 2020 and compared to today's race, I would say that was tougher as the ascent was a bit steeper," Kipng'eno said.
Although he is unsure of his next plans as far as upcoming mountain running events are concerned, Kipng'eno has his eyes set on the track and field championships in 2022, including the Commonwealth and World Championships.
"Yes, that is something I would love and I am aiming for. Specifically, I want to fight for a ticket in the men's 10,000m at the Commonwealth as well as the World Championship. I think I am at a level of fitness where I can perform really well in it," he said.
In the women's 13km, Sheila Jebiwott clocked 52:28.7 to cut the tape, ahead of World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup champion Joyce Njeru (52:36.8) and Jesca Chelagat (52:42.6) in second and third respectively.
David Mwangi was the winner in the male juniors' 8km race, timing 30:44.5 as Alfred Cheruiyot (30:45.5) and William Kimsop (30:55.6) finished second and third.
