Kiprop inspires Standard Club in half-marathon

By Norman Katende
in Sironko

ISAAC Kiprop successfully defended his national half-marathon championship title while Prison’s Adero Nyakisi beat UPDF’s Catherine Webombesa to the women’s title on the slopes of Mountain Elgon in Sironko on Sunday.

Kiprop, who has spent most of his season in military training, confirmed his form by breaking away from the chasing pack with about ten other runners after the 4km mark like it was the case in last year’s event.

By ten kilometres, the runners had formed a group of five, three of them Kiprop’s Standard camp team mates James Kibet and Moses Cherop with Prisons Jackson Kiprop and Ndejje’s Moses Cherop.

At two kilometres to go, it was only Kiprop and Kibet eyeing the title, before he sprinted off to victory in one hour three minutes and 34 seconds.

Kibet came home about a minute later to claim second place and Cherop completed the 1-2-3 finish for Standard Club.

“It was a very good course. The only problem is that most of the big names were not present hence the competition was not that stiff,” Kiprop said after the race.

He added: “I have been having some military training for my employer but I am now back in full time athletics.”

Nyakisi used his hill climbing experience to win the women’s title with Webombesa and Jane Suuto taking second and third positions respectively.

UPDF and standard Club teams retained the women and men team titles respectively.

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half-marathon
Individual winners
Men
1 I. Kiprop 1:03:34
2 J. Kibet 1:04:33
3 M. Cherop 1:07:80
4 J. Kiprop 1:07.08
Women
1 A. Nyakisi 1:17:02
2 C. Webombesa 1:19:04
3 J. Suuto 1:20:10
4 I. Chemisto 1:23:20
Team winners
Men
1 Standard 6pts
2 Arua 29
3 Ndejje 52
Women
1 UPDF 17pts
2 Arua 19
3 Prisons 19