A New Kenyan Star?: Paul Tanui Crushes Field at Kenyan Cross Country Championships, As Linet Masai Cruises
By LetsRun.com
February 20, 2010
On Saturday, unheralded Kenyan Paul Tanui dominated the 2009 Kenyan XC Trials for the World Championships next month in Poland.
Tanui who was fourth last year at the World XC Junior Championships (and only 6th in the Kenyan junior race last year) crushed the field on Saturday in Kenya winning by an incredible 30 seconds.
Many argue that the Kenyan XC Trials is the toughest XC race in the world and if that is still the case then Kenya may have a new male star.
While Tanui may be unknown even within Kenya (2 years ago he was not selected for the junior Worlds team because he did not know how to run in shoes according to this article), he has been training in Japan for the Kyedenko Electronic Company and did run 27:25 for 10k last year (a time only 4 Americans (Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, Mark Nenow, and Dathan Ritzenhein) have run faster than)
In the women's race, Linet Masai, the favorite and the reigning 10,000m World Champ and runner-up last year at World Cross Country, won by 20 seconds over Lineth Chepkurui.
Brief video recap of the race below.
More: *Tanui upsets formbook to clinch national title
*Photo Gallery
Top Results from IAAF:
Senior MEN (12 km) -
1. Paul Tanui 35:12.5
2. Lucas Rotich 35:42.7
3. Joseph Ebuya 35:44.8
4. Hosea Macharinyang 35:47.4
5. Leonard Komon 35:56.2
6. Richard Mateelong 35:58.0
7. Bernard Kipyego 35:59.0
8. John Thuo
35:59.7
9. Jonathan Kosgei 36:04.5
10. Julius Kogo 36:05.7
Senior WOMEN (8 km) -
8km women –
1. Linet Masai 26:43.0
2. Lineth Chepkurui 27:03.5
3. Margaret Wangare 27:05.8
4. Emily Muge 27:06.6
5. Monica Wangare 27:13.2
6. Anne Wanjiru 27:14.4
7.
Esther Chemutai 27:17.0
8. Pamela Losereng 27:21.0
9. Veronica Nyaruai 27:26.2
10. Edna Kiplagat 27:27.7
Junior MEN (8 km) -
1. Charles Chebet 23:08.0* (earlier, Chebet's time was incorrectly reported as 20:38.0)
2. Paul Mutero 23:40.8
3. Caleb Mwangangi 23:42.4
4. Japheth Korir 23:48.5
5. Gedion Kipketer 23:52.6
6.
Isaiah Kiplang’at 23:54.6
Junior WOMEN (6 km) -
1. Nelly Chebet 20:12.7
2. Purity Cherotich 20:13.6
3. Faith Chepng’etich 20:15.6
4. Mercy Cherono 20:21.6
5. Alice Aprot 20:24.6
6. Esther Chemutai 20:32.5
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