Moraa, Chebet glide to national crowns

Commonwealth Games champions Mary Moraa (800m) and Beatrice Chebet (5,000m) champions were crowned new national 800m and 1,500m queens respectively as upsets and thrills marked the end of the National Athletics Championships on Saturday.

Kenya Defence Forces champion Simon Koech shocked Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwott and Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen to win the 3,000m steeplechase title.

The 2018 world under-20 800m silver medallist Kipng’etich Ng’eno of Police also stunned Commonwealth games 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and 2019 world 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot for his maiden national 800m crown.

Moraa of Police glided home easily in one minute and 59.85 seconds to win, beating Penina Mutisya from Southern and KDF’s Vivian Chebet to second and third places in 2:00.78 and 2:00.82 respectively.

“It has been a good championship, winning the mixed relays with a national record and running sub two minutes in the 800m final,” said Moraa, the world 800m bronze medallist.

Representing Police, Chebet, the world 5,000m silver medallist was home and dry in 4:06.09, outclassing Miriam Cherop from Prisons in 4:07.14 as the 2021 World Under-20 1,500m champion Purity Chepkirui from South Rift came third in 4:07.63.

Kyumbe Munguti (KDF) was crowned the new men’s 1,500m champion after romping home in another stunning victory in 3:36.77, beating Vincent Keter (Prisons) and Charles Simotwo (KDF) in 3:37.38 and 3:38.21 respectively.  

Fresh from winning his maiden KDF title, Koech, 19, dominated to win in 8:26.58, upsetting the 2018 world under-20 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist Leonard Bett from South Rift to second in 8:29.86.

Kibiwott (Police) settled fourth in 8:34.14 as Kigen (KDF) came fifth in 8:34.34. 

Ng’eno, the 2019 Africa under-20 800m champion, cruised home in 1:44.50, beating Cornelius Tuwei (KDF) on the tape in 1:44.92. Cheruiyot came third in 1:45.10 followed by Kinyamal in 1:45.12.

Former national 100m and 200m champion Maximilla Imali might have led Kenya Police to victory in 4x100m in 44.58, a time, which could have been a new national record.

However, Imali is one of those athletes affected by the new World Athletics rules on testosterone rules. 

Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala anchored Police to victory in 4x100m in 39.78 in a race where KDF and Prisons were disqualified.

North Rift finished second in 40.89 followed by Nyanza South in 40.16.