NAIROBI, 26 October 2004 — Kenya’s two-time London marathon champion Joyce Chepchumba, running her first marathon race at home in a decade, was upstaged by an unheralded compatriot Chemokil Chilapong Benjamin in the Nairobi international marathon on Sunday.
Chemokil, a mother of four who was running her first ever marathon, stayed ahead of the pack with the leading male competitors to win in 2hr 39min 9sec. She earned one million Kenyan shillings (about $12,350) for her feat.
Immediately after the race, Chemokil was mobbed and whisked away into a waiting vehicle by a group of women who had accompanied her from her home in West Pokot in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province. Even the members of the press, who were keen to interview the surprising winner, were left disappointed.
Chepchumba, who has also won the Chicago marathon twice, said the pace was too high and was happy to finish second in 2:39.27, ahead of another experienced athlete Delilah Asiago.
Benjamin Kipchumba Kemboi won the men’s race to make up for being denied the chance to compete in an international race in Italy two weeks ago by his Italian manager.
Kemboi clocked 2:11.50 and led five other competitors to break the course record set last year by fellow Kenyan Philip Kirui, who failed to finish the race. Kemboi finished nearly three minutes ahead of Samuel Tangus.
Isabella Ochichi won the women’s 10km race in 35min 48sec, well ahead of her two compatriots Hellen Chelagat Kiprop and Irene Mutia.
El Guerrouj Plans to Retire in 2006
In Rabat, double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj, the greatest middle distance runner of his generation, plans to retire in 2006 after trying to break the 5,000 meters world record next year. The 30-year-old Moroccan, who won both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters gold medals at the Athens Olympics in August, already holds the 1,500 meters, mile and 2,000 meters world records.
El Guerruoj said 2006 would be “the year of farewell” at a ceremony on Friday in Oviedo, northern Spain, where he received the 2004 Principe de Asturias prize, Spain’s top international sporting honor. Next year El Guerrouj said he would try to break the world 5,000 mark held by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.
