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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