Chelangat wins national Junior Cross-Country title

 Chelangat (right) clocked 19 minutes 18.9 seconds in the six kilometer race. PHOTO: Richard Sanya

Sarah Chelangat saved the best for last to beat defending champion Peruth Chemutal to win the National Women's Junior Cross-country title.

The new champion clocked 19 minutes 18.9 seconds in the six kilometer race at Jinja's exhibition ground.

"It was a tough race, but I kept in there. I knew anything could happen in the final lap," said the KCCA runner.

But it was Chemutai who looked destined to retain the title earlier in the race. She led from the gun until the last 200 meters that included a hill which took its toll on her.

"I just don't know what happened in the final stretch. I lost gas," stated Chemutai who turns out for giants Police.

Finishing third was Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi.  Both Uganda and Burundi used the event to select their teams to the Africa Cross-country in Algeria next month.

Spectators who turned up were however disappointed on learning that Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo were absent.

Kiplimo will be running at the IAAF Cinque Mulini Cross-country in Italy today while Cheptegei is preparing for a race in Johannesburg on March 3.