KENYA – Geoffrey Kipsang, Florence Kiplagat emerge winners at Cross Country championships

The 2011 World Cross Country junior champion Geoffrey Kipsang and 2009 World Cross Country senior women champion Florence Kiplagat are the winners of the 22nd Kenya Police Service Cross Country Championships.

Kipsang (Western) took control of the race after three kilometres to claim his third consecutive victory in the men’s 12km race in 35 minutes 45.7 seconds, beating 2011 and 2013 New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai (CID) to second in 37:26.0.

The 2012 World Indoor 3,000m silver medallist Augustine Choge (Traffic) took third place in 37:27.3 as Josphat Bett followed in fourth 38:02.3.

The 21-year-old Kipsang, who glided to a personal best of 58:54 – just two seconds outside the course record at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February last year in the United Arab Emirates, appealed to Athletics Kenya to consider him for the Kenya team for the World Half Marathon due on March 29 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Record-chasing Kiplagat untouchable in women's race

Florence Kiplagat, a winner of this race in 2009, has been in outstanding form in recent months and her performance over 8km today bodes well for a possible tilt at the world half-marathon record this spring.