A giant sign across the Eldoret-Uganda highway directed traffic branching off to Muram Road leading to the second exit point at Great Chepsaita Interchange.
Like a river, people flowed endlessly up the hill with cars and motorbikes desperately swerving in the middle of this river for the crowd to let them pass an inch.
Among the vehicles were police patrol trucks and water tankers, occasionally dumping water on the road to keep down the fine dust of red soil that tires and boots repeatedly trampled into a light dust.
At the top of the hill, helicopters continued to land and take off. At least six helicopters were on the ground at any given time. Parking lots, track facilities and empty spaces at nearby schools, health clinics and churches were all occupied.
“Even if I can’t run here today, walking this terrain is enough exercise for me,” I heard a man mutter behind me as we walked up the hill from the parking lot to the venue.
Since the first edition of the event, which took place around the same time last year, many changes have been seen not only to the scenic course, which was expanded, but also to the nearby structures, including a school built by one of the event’s sponsors.
“Farooq Kibet has become a patron of all the schools in this area. I live here but I can’t count the many schools he has gone to and given a million shillings each to help clear school fees for children who were struggling before the last one. taking part in exams,” a local resident spoke to me during the senior women’s 10k race mid-term.
By then, Uganda’s Lois Chekwemoy was already in the lead with two laps to go. Unaware that the leader was Ugandan, fans were keeping a close eye on the runner in second place as they wondered if the Ethiopian would win the big race in the center of a remote Kenyan village. when Shimeles Mekides Molla followed in hot pursuit.With 500 meters to go, home the crowd breathed a brief sigh of relief as Chekwemoy widened the gap to the front, only to find out he was Ugandan when the announcer called out his name and nationality at the finish line.A distant third was Kenya’s Celestine Biwott.
Top positions being awarded to foreigners may not have been good news for the locals, but it showed just how big and international the event is becoming.
“Today’s big turnout is really inspiring for me and all the stakeholders involved. I promise the next edition will be even bigger.” This event clearly shows how much people love sports. In addition, the opportunity to undergo a medical examination for the participants is a significant achievement. “Nothing motivates me more than seeing the community uplifted,” said Kibet, sponsor of the Chepsaita Cross Country Run, in an interview with the press at the event.
Many senior government officials ranging from the Vice President to the Sports SC and other NGOs graced the event.
“Through the Chepsaita Cross Country Run initiative, many children are getting an education, making it a powerful equalizer for all professions. Education allows everyone to sit at the same table,” said Kenya’s Vice President Kiture Kindiki.
Events of this magnitude can also have their downfalls, especially for young children.
As it happens at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, known as the “silent terminal”, everyone had to check their schedules and find out where they were supposed to be on time. or were late for their event and missed out.
Photo by Justin Lagat
“We didn’t expect the event to be this big. Next year, we will have all the children and their documents ready and in order ahead of time,” said Bonaventura Masika, one of the teachers who had brought the children from a distance of more than 100 km twenty children. Some were unable to receive their bibs due to spelling and other errors in their registration.
But the kids enjoyed watching the world’s best runners as they battled for the senior titles and were further inspired in the final stages of the men’s 10K senior race as the trio of Matthew Kipruto, Robert Kiprop and Samvel Cheboley pulled away from the rest of the field with around 4K to go. to take the lead.It turned into a two-way battle in the last 2km as Cheboley and Kiprop traded the lead until the final 400m when Cheboley finally pulled clear before taking the title, followed by Kiprop and Kipruto to fill the podium.
