Sawe turns on class to bag national cross country title

World half marathon champion Sabastian Sawe has captured the national cross country title to set his sights on the world title later this month.

Sawe, who tactically moved towards the pack before retreating at the back, waited until the last kilometre to make the decisive move to again win the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College, Kiambu on Saturday.

Sawe also won the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships that were held February last year in Bathurst, Australia where he finished seventh.

However, last year’s national cross country championships and national trials for the world championships were held separately after the trials were moved to December 2022 with the world event taking place on February 18.

Sawe clocked 28 minutes and 38.3 seconds to edge out the 2022 national cross country champion Samuel Chebolei to second place in 28:38.9 as Gideon Rono settled third in 28:41.9 to all make Team Kenya for the World Cross Country Championships scheduled for March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The 2015 and 2019 world cross country champion Geoffrey Kamworor exhibited why fine wine matures with age, claiming the fourth spot in 28:42.6 to set his sights on his sixth world cross country appearance.

Last year, Kamworor was the best placed Kenyan at the World Cross Country in fourth place and was followed by Kibiwott Kandie, Daniel Simiu and Sabastian Sawe in that order.

The 2021 world under-20 5,000m champion Benson Kiplagat signaled his return, finishing fifth in 28:47.4 as the reigning world cross country under-20 champion Ishmael Kipkurui clocked 28:52.4 to claim the sixth and last position in Team Kenya.

“It was really not my intention to stay at the back, I really wanted to push but the pace was slow,” said Sawe. “It’s in the last minute that I tried to push and I am glad I won the trials again for my maiden national title,” said Sawe, who is also the 2023 Berlin Half Marathon champion.

Sawe said his main target is now a podium finish in Belgrade after a disappointing outing in Australia.

“Team work will help us reclaim the title Kamworor won last in 2017. It’s teamwork that saw us sweep all the medals at the world half marathon last year,” said Sawe, adding that it will be about training hard and working smart too.

University’s Samuel Kibathi retained his national cross country under-20 title in 22.37.7 and will represent Kenya for the first time at the world event.

Charles Rotich, who finished second in 22:38.9 makes a return to the world event after finishing 12th last year while third-placed Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto in 22:44.4, will make his debut at the world event.

Also making the team were Johana Erot (22:57.9), Shadrack Rono (22:59.0) and newly crowned Africa cross country under-20 champion, Gedion Kipng’etich (23:01.0). 

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