Duncan Waweru and Daisilah Jerono were the main characters on Friday as they took first positions at the 43rd Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Cross Country Championship held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nairobi.
Jerono was impressive in the women’s 10km race as she racked up a time of 33 minutes 04.03 seconds. She left second-placed Glorious Jepkirui far behind, with third-placed Gladys Koech following their trail.
Waweru was electrifying to the very end in the men’s race as he registered his time at 29 minutes 25.3 seconds. Moses Kirimi was the runner-up recording 29 minutes 29.0 seconds while Charles Katul Kakuri was third completing the podium in 29 minutes 31.3 seconds.
The mixed relay event was thrilling as Isiolo won it in 23 minutes 07 seconds, only beating Moi Airbase and Thika, who were second and third respectively, by a slight margin.
Sixteen teams from all KDF regions competed in this year’s championship. The race also served as the Defence Forces’ squad selection for the national cross country championship scheduled for Eldoret Sports Club on October 25.
The country will, therefore, use the Eldoret encounter to decide on the team that will participate in the World Cross Country Championship 2026, which will take place on January 10, in Tallahassee, USA.
