Koros targeting 10,000m slot at the Olympics trials

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) 10,000m champion Collins Koros has settled on the 25-lap race for his Olympics trials slated for June 17 to 19 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. 

In what was his first 10,000m on Kenyan soil, the 29-year old dominated at the military meet a week ago, clocking 28:39.03 to win the race and followed it up with a 13:39.5 to narrowly beat 2005 World Youth Championship gold medallist Abel Mutai, who clocked 13:39.6 in the 5000m at the military meet. 

Koros’ lucky gamble paying off on the track

At the Athletics Kenya (AK) invite-only pre-trial event held on May 27 to 29 at the Nyayo National Stadium, Koros placed second in 10,000m behind US-based Kenyan Edward Cheserek who won in 28:10.41. Koros timed 28:13.38 as Hilary Mosop finished third in 28:42.23. 

"I chose the 10,000m race at the pre-trial and I am targeting the same at the trials next month as my coach and I felt that my body has responded well to the distance despite being fairly new in it. Having competed in numerous cross country races has helped me settle well in the track event. At the pre-trial, I had a relaxed race and I did not push myself as I all I needed was a place at the Olympics trials and second place is good enough," said Koros. 

He made his debut in 10,000m two weeks before the KDF championship at a race in Sweden, clocking 27:29.35 which is a second shy of the Olympics qualifying time.

At the trials, Koros and Cheserek, who is also targeting a slot in the Kenyan team, will face stiff competition from World half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie, national cross country defending champion Rodgers Kwemoi and Bedan Karoki who are among elite athletes expected to line up for the slots. 

Meanwhile, Cheserek who was racing in Kenya for the first time since his high school days says he is ready to rumble with the big shots for a chance to represent his motherland at the Summer Games. 

"I was not expecting Nairobi to be this hot but I pushed myself for the win. I was using this race to gauge how my body is responding to training and also to find out what I need to work on before the Olympics trials in three weeks time. I have qualification times in both 5000m and 10,000m and I am ready for the competition expected at the trails as it would be an honour to represent Kenya at the Games," said the Arizona-based athlete. 

Cheserek, initially, wanted to race for the US but the process of changing his citizenship has not gone as fast as he would have wanted and in return has chosen to try his luck with the Kenyan team. 

He is a 17-time NCAA champion collegiate distance runner for the University of Oregon. Cheserek was the most highly recruited high school distance runner in the nation out of Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in New Jersey where he was named the Gatorade 2012-2013 National Cross Country Runner of the year. 

In 2013, Cheserek became the first freshman in Oregon history to win the NCAA National Ross Country Championship. He repeated this feat in his sophomore and junior years at Oregon before coming in third in the race in 2016 during his senior year.