Mary Moraa out to atone for last year's loss at Kasarani
Mary Moraa (left) and Millicent Ndoro walk on the track at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on on May 11, 2023 ahead of the Absa Kip Keino Classic.
What you need to know:
- The women’s 800m race, which starts at 4.30pm, is a core event of the World Athletics-sanctioned Continental Gold Tour event.
- Moraa, who has a personal best time of 1:56.71, will have to overcome the threat posed Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu (1:56.71) and Sekgodiso if she is to realise her dream of claiming victory in front of her home crowd.
Commonwealth Games 800 metres champion Mary Moraa will be out to atone for last year’s loss to South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso when she lines up for this year’s Absa Kip Keino Classic at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Saturday.
The women’s 800m race, which starts at 4.30pm, is a core event of the World Athletics-sanctioned Continental Gold Tour event.
Moraa, who has a personal best time of 1:56.71, will have to overcome the threat posed Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu (1:56.71) and Sekgodiso if she is to realise her dream of claiming victory in front of her home crowd.
Alemu has a season's best of 1:59.39 while Moraa has clocked 2:00.61 this season.
Kenya’s Millicent Ndoro, who is making her debut over the distance, Naomi Korir (2:00.06), Vivian Chebet (2:03.72), Netsanet Desta (1:59.39) and Tigist Girma (2:03.03) are the other athletes in the startlist.
Moraa is fresh from breaking her own 400m national record after clocking 50.44 seconds at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix a fortnight ago and will be relishing the challenge at Kasarani.
In the women’s 1,500m, which has been categorised as a discretionary event, Kenyan athletes will be keen to win the title that was won by Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji last year in a world-leading 4:01.50.
Winny Chebet, who has a personal best of 3:58.20, leads the Kenyan legion that has World Under-20 800m finalist Nelly Chepchirchir, Josphine Chelangat (4:07.75), World Under-20 silver medallist Brenda Chebet (4:04.64), Lydia Jeruto (4:11.53), Edinah Jebitok (4:02.66), Peninah Wangari (4:26.95) and Sylvia Chesebe (4:25.3).
Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi (4:05.54), Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat (4:18.77) and Janet Chemusto (4:15.90), Djibouti’s Souhra Ali Mohamed (4:12.53), Poland’s Angelika Cichocka (4:01.61), Ethiopians Dadi Bube (4:14.0) and Ksanet Alem (4:06.29) are also in the mix.
Brenda Chebet, who was part of Kenya’s mixed relay team that won gold at the World Cross Country Championships in Barthust, Australia in February, has her eyes set on lowering her personal best.
“My target is to run sub 4:02 and qualify for the World Championships,” said Brenda.
