Athletes compete at the AK weekend meeting in Thika/ TEDDY MULEI The 2024 National 400m women’s champion Mercy Chebet and Kevin Kipkorir will be out to defend their 400m crowns at the third Athletics Kenya weekend meeting at the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex.
Chebet and Kipkorir were in strong form at the second AK weekend meet held at the Thika stadium on January 15-17, winning the women's and men's 400m races.
The three-day Kapsabet track and field spectacle storms off on Thursday and runs through Saturday.
On the track, fans will be treated to explosive showdowns in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m,10,000m and the 20km race walk for both men and women, as well as the 100m women's and 110m men's hurdle events.
Field events will include the hammer throw, discus, shot put, javelin, long jump, high jump and triple jump for both men and women.
Chebet is set to double in the 100m and 400m, keen to maintain her flying start to the season.
At the second weekend meeting in Thika, she was in imperious form in the women’s one-lap race, stopping the clock at 53.8.
She unleashed a strong finishing kick to hold off Hellen Syombua (54.5) and Purity Chepkoech (54.8).
With her sights firmly fixed on a place in Kenya’s World Relays squad and the African Championships, Chebet has made it clear that sharpening her speed is a priority.
"Right now I have the endurance; I only need to sharpen my speed,” she said after her Thika triumph.
Meanwhile, Kipkorir stormed to victory in the men’s 400m, clocking 45.8.
Allan Kipyego followed in 46.4, with Danson Kibet completing the podium in 46.9.
National 100m hurdles champion Gladys Ngure will spearhead the charge in the women’s 100m and 400m hurdles.
In Thika, Ngure was in commanding form, sweeping both hurdle titles.
She clocked 15.1 in the 100m hurdles to outkick Florence Obel (15.9) and Philian Nyandusi (16.2).
Over the 400m hurdles, she asserted her dominance in 61.9, finishing ahead of Obel (63.3) and Ann Muhanda (63.6).
Rising distance sensation Maurine Chebor will also be in action in Kapsabet, lining up for a demanding 5,000m and 10,000m double.
The youngster narrowly missed out on a global podium at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10, placing eighth in the senior women’s 10km race in 33:06.
Kapsabet now offers her the ideal stage to rebuild momentum and reassert her authority on the domestic circuit.
In the race walk, three-time African Championships 20km gold medallist Samuel Gathimba will lead the men’s field, eager to launch his 2026 campaign with a statement performance.
The field events will also have their headline acts, with three-time national shot put champion Peter Mwangi set to anchor the men’s throws.
2024 national triple jump champion Gloria Mulei will be the star attraction in the women’s jumps.
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