Mkungo, Cherop win Coast Region Cross-Country Championship titles
US-based Kenyan athlete Panuel Mkunga crosses the finishing line to win the senior men's 10km race during Athletics Kenya Coast Region Cross Country Championships at Dawson Mwanyumba Stadium in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County on February 6, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The 5km girls under-18 event saw Maria Shali emerge victorious in 23:14.16 minutes followed by her older sister Agnes Mwashigadi who time 23:54.22.
- Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja, who was in the stadium, awarded the twelve-year-old Shali with a cash prize of Sh10,000, while Agnes got Sh5,000.
Panuel Mkungo of Taita Taveta County and Joan Cherop of Kilifi County emerged the winners of the 10km Coast Region Cross-Country Championship at Dawson Mwanyumba Stadium in Wundanyi on Saturday.
Mkungo, the US-based Taita Taveta County team captain, won the men's 10km event after clocking 26 minutes 22.18 seconds.
"I am happy with the victory as it was a start of my preparations for other races I intend to participate in this year. I have been training at Ibrahim Hussein training camp in the Rift Valley since March and during the national cross-country event, I’ll try to secure a place in the national team,” said the 25-year-old.
Thirty-year-old Joan Cherop clocked 36:08.50 minutes to win the women's title. Cherop said she is determined to fight for a place in the national team which will go for the Africa Cross-Country CHampionships in Togo in March.
“I failed to register good time because of the hot and humid conditions. I commend Athletics Kenya (AK) Coast branch officials for having successfully organised the event and I believe our team will do well at Ngong Racecourse next weekend, ” said Cherop, who won the 2019 Detroit Marathon.
Home runners shine
In the men's 10km race that was dominated by Taita Taveta runners, Daniel Kemoi finished second in 26: 49.48 minutes, Vincent Tanui was third (26: 59.59), Boniface Nduva fourth (27: 26.11), Lameck Mwakio fifth (28: 34.04) and Luke Musembi sixth (28: 48.34).
Taita Taveta won other women top positions with Rose Nthei finishing second in 39: 16.16 while Irene Mkungo (40: 05.26), Neema Mutinda (41: 53.37), Jenipher Mutheu, (43: 17.89) and Eunice Koronge (43: 24.92) followed in that order.
The 5km girls under-18 event saw Maria Shali emerge victorious in 23:14.16 minutes followed by her older sister Agnes Mwashigadi who time 23:54.22.
Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja, who was in the stadium, awarded the twelve-year-old Shali with a cash prize of Sh10,000, while Agnes got Sh5,000.
Third placed Josephine Sempeyo, who returned 25:17.15, walked home with Sh3,000.
