Kibet, Chepkurui win Rift Valley Prisons’ XC Championships

Fast finishing Kibet Barng’etuny won the 10km race during the Rift Valley Prisons’ Cross Country Championships held at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison.

The determined athlete from the North Rift Region clocked 31:04: 66minutes after trailing frontrunners for most of the race before producing a devastating finishing speed to romp home.

He was followed by compatriot Gideon Kimutai who clocked a time of 31:17:65, with Nixon Kiprotich also from the North Rift Region completing the top three roster.

Puffing William Matelong from South Rift Region came in fourth in time of 31:28:20.

In the women’s category, it was a gun to tape affair for the diminutive Sheila Chepkurui from the South Rift Region, maintaining a constant speed to win the race in a time of 36:44:24.

She ran unchallenged with the second placed Josephine Chelangat also from the South Rift, finishing in a slow time of 42:04:06.

Capping the top three was Nancy Kwambai who posted a time of 42:30:80.

An elated 10km winner Kibet Barng’etuny  attributed his win to tactical running in the sweltering Naivasha heat.

“I let the other runners do the pace setting and applied my strong finishing power to win the race,” he said after the conquest, adding that he’s upbeat of posting good results during inter regions national competition.

The women race winner Chepkurui termed the competition as having being “modest” but admitted to having to contend with uneven terrain and searing heat.

“I was testing my speed and endurance having started to train recently,” she said

Second placed home girl Chelangat from Naivasha Maximum Security Prison who got vocal backing from her colleagues was happy with her position.

“I abandoned running while in Form Two and reignited the passion after joining the Prison Service early in the year. With good preparations, I will make it,” she said.

The team head coach John Kipchumba said the selected runners consisting of eight men and women will camp in Kericho ahead of the national competition.

The officer in charge of the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison Hassan Tari termed the event as having been successful.

“Preparing for an event of this magnitude is not easy…but we did well and our efforts can be seen,” he said.

Rift Valley Region Prison boss Aggrey Onyango promised the team full support while in camp

The event, he disclosed, was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.