Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
William Njuguna
1 December 2011
NEW Delhi Half marathon champion Lucy Kabuu is set to grace the South Imenti road race slated for December 10 in Meru. Athletics Kenya (AK) public relations officer Peter Angwenyi said Kabuu will grace the event as she attempts to build-up on her preparations for 2012 London Olympic Games.
Kabuu will be one of the many high profile athletes for the one-day event. Defending champions Patrick Mutunga and Magdalene Syombua will return to defend their titles at the event. Mutunga was part of the winning Kenyan team at the just concluded Chiba Ekiden race, where they posted 29:23 to win the title.
Mutunga, the world youth 3,000m silver medallist, clocked 28:08 in the third 10km stage of the Chiba Ekiden to catapult Kenya to victory. At the Imenti race, he is expected to face stiff competition from among others last year’s Hong Kong Marathon champion and home runner, Cyprian Kiogora.
Fellow Machakos-based runner Cosmas Kyeva returns to the race after finishing third in last year’s edition. According to the organiser and AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua world 3000m record holder Daniel Komen and the 2005 world 5,000m champion, Benjamin Limo will grace the race. Mobile phone provider Safaricom have forked out Sh750,000 with area member of Parliament and patron of the event and Minister of Energy Kiraitu Murungi donating Sh250,000.
Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) chairman Waithaka Kioni and AK have given Sh100,000 each towards the event while , Kinyua donated Sh50,000. Two parliamentary aspirants added Sh30,000 towards the race. AK South Imenti sub branch chairman Kimathi Mutuerandu said winners of the main 10km men and women’s road races will pocket Sh50,000 each with runner-ups and bronze winners taking home Sh25,000 and Sh20,000 respectively.
The race will also feature -8km (men), women’s 6km, individual youth runs of 4km and 2km, veterans’ event and school team races of 2km, 4km, 6km and 8km.
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