Ferdinand Omanyala, the Commonwealth Games champion, displayed his sprinting prowess by clocking 9.96 seconds to retain his men’s 100m title at the National Athletics Championships held at Nyayo Stadium.
Omanyala, who is also the African record holder, had earlier contributed to the Police team’s victory in the men’s 4x100m relays, making it a double win for him on the day.
Expressing his joy, Omanyala said, “I am happy I have run under 10 seconds and, of course, to win gold for my employers (Police). I am now taking a break for a few days before competing at the Monaco Diamond League. The ultimate goal is the World Championships in Budapest.”
In the women’s 5000m race, Lilian Kasait outperformed the world 3000m steeplechase record holder, Beatrice Chepkoech, to claim victory. Kasait, representing Prisons, clocked 15:01.37, while Chepkoech finished with a time of 15:01.78.
Similarly, in the men’s 5000m race, Daniel Simiu of Police displayed dominance and triumphed with a time of 13:34.25. Bravin Kogei of KDF secured second place, finishing in 13:37.64.
Reflecting on his performance, Simiu stated, “For me, I treat every race as a final, and that is why I try to give my best every time I compete. I am now shifting my focus to the national trials with the goal of competing at the national championships.”
The women’s 1500m event saw Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Beatrice Chebet of Police being crowned the national champion with a winning time of 4:06.09. Miriam Cherop of Prisons secured the second position with a time of 4:07.06.
Kyumbe Munguti, the world cross country mixed relay champion, emerged victorious in the men’s race with a time of 3:39.11, ahead of Vincent Keter of Prisons, who finished second.
Other notable winners included Simon Koech of KDF in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:26.58, and Pamela Kosgei of North Rift in the women’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:35.25.
In the men’s 800m race, Kipngetich Ngeno of Prisons claimed victory with a time of 1:44.90, narrowly defeating Cornelius Tuwei of KDF, who finished second with a time of 1:44.92. Mary Moraa of Police, the Commonwealth Games 800m champion, stormed to victory in the women’s 800m race with a time of 1:59.85.
Finally, Julius Yego, the former world javelin champion representing Police, claimed the national title with a throw of 81.84m. Alexander Kiprotich of KDF secured second place with a throw of 75.61m.
The conclusion of Saturday’s events marked the end of the three-day national championships, which showcased thrilling performances. It also signalled the end of the local track and field season, which began with the Athletics Kenya weekend meetings in February.
