Chepkemoi impressed with her performance in Nandi road race despite finishing seventh

Chepkemoi was deemed as the pre-race favorite owing to her exploits in road running but the athlete faded to a seventh place finish in a race won by Nancy Jelagat.

In her post race interview, Chepkemoi who walked home with Ksh 10,000 was quick to attribute her podium miss to fatigue gathered from the host of long races she had graced before.

She said she did not accord her body sufficient rest after participating in the KDF championships held a month ago where she took part in the 5,000 and 10,000 races, finishing second in both behind Helen Obiri and Irene Kamais respectively.

Further, she claimed that she channeled a lot of efforts in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics qualifiers only to miss a ticket after failing to finish the 10,000m race.

She also disclosed that she was part of the chasing pack when the Ethiopia-born Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan smashed the five-year 10,000m record during the Continental Tour Meet in Hengelo, Netherlands early this month.

"I really can't complain with my performance. I had come to try and see how my body would react after returning from Nairobi a couple of days ago. This month, I have participated in many races and felt a little bit tired," she said.

Chepkemoi who trains under coach John Juma disclosed her plan to launch early preparations for the rescheduled World Athletics Cross Country where she will be eyeing a top three finish.

"I want to start loading for the World Cross Country after missing out the Olympics ticket. The race is months away but I don't want rushed preparations for I will be seeking to either win it or finish on the podium," she added.

Mozzart Support

The Re-discover Nandi road race director Fred Kiptanui has unreservedly expressed his gratitude to the title sponsors Mozzart Bet for making the twelfth edition a success.

The race which was held on Sunday in Kapsabet saw four hundred athletes participate with the winners receiving instant cash awards in the closing ceremony.

Kiptanui who is regarded as the brainchild of the race which seeks to conserve the existing water catchment areas in the area termed this year's edition more successful than the past ones.

"This was the most successful race since its inception. The entries, level of competition and the support from sponsors and local community was commendable. The race was for the first time beamed live. My gratitude goes to Mozzart Bet for their financial assistance, " he said.

Kiptanui in the meantime pledged to make next year's and the subsequent editions more attractive through engaging more sponsors and locals.

"We want to build on the success of the twelfth edition and make it grand going forward. Everyone wants to associate with success and thus, I expect more athletes to register for next year so are the corporates," he added.