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Kenyans chasing big cash incentives in East Cape events On the Track, with Alec RiddleA POWERFUL team of Kenyans will be chasing half of the R500 000 in prize-money and incentives on offer in the Nelson Mandela Bay Running Festival, which begins on Saturday in Patensie with the Patensie Citrus EP crosscountry championships. Besides the excellent prizemoney on offer, including R20 000 for the winning team in the Spoornet Great Train Race (August 30) and R10 000 for the winner of the International Port of Nqura 10km (August 27), the Kenyans will be chasing a R50 000 incentive for breaking the course record in the Train Race. Theres also a huge R150 000 incentive if they win both of the above events, as well as the mens 4km and 12km crosscountry events in Patensie on Saturday. However, the Kenyans will not have things their own way as the Train Race defending champions, Mr Price Gauteng North headed up by Shadrack Hoff, will provide formidable opposition, while several top SA runners, including Abner Chipu, Norman Dlomo and Simon Mpholo, will be in action in the individual events. The Kenyan team will be spearheaded by 1992 Olympic 3 000m steeplechase champion Matthew Birir and includes several rising young stars in Andrew Limo, Bernard Kiprop, Mike Tanui and James Rotich. The event organisers have lined up a great day of racing in Patensie on Saturday, with a full programme of events for all age categories and a mass participation event for non-club runners. The highlights of the day will be the senior mens events, while Jane Rotich should canter to victory in either the womens 4km or 8km, or both if she opts to do the double. The mens races should be full of excitement, with several top SA runners challenging the Kenyans for the titles so theres sure to be some world-class competition in Patensie. More details on all three events are available from the EPAU office (374 2818/9).
THREE-TIME world 1 500m champion Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1 500m in 3:29:12 at the Zurich Weltklasse on Friday and immediately confirmed that he would be attempting an audacious 1 500 and 5000m double at next weeks world athletics championships in Paris (August 23-31). This will be an incredible challenge as only one previous athlete has ever achieved the 1 500-5 000m double. That was Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, who won the 5 000m only one hour after winning the 1 500m at the 1924 Olympics, also in Paris. Mozambiques Maria Mutola stayed on track for the $1-million Golden League jackpot with her 800m victory on Friday. In the mens 800m, world record-holder Wilson Kipketer led off the bend into the final straight and, with 50m to go, looked the likely winner. But the South African duo of Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Hezekiel Sepeng swooped to relgate him to third, finishing first and second respectively (1:44:12 and 1:44:26). South Africas Hestrie Cloete is in the form of her life and won the womens high jump with a leap of 2,03m in a competition where four women cleared two metres 2,01m to be exact for the first time in history. Okkert Brits secured a third victory for SA with a seasons best 5,80m in the pole vault.
WAYNE Gallant (Liberty Nike) and Kirsty Weir (UPE) were crowned EP 10km champions at the Nike 10km on Saturday. Gallant, who won last weeks crosscountry event and is in great form, came home in 29:54 and should feel confident for the upcoming EP crosscountry championships. Weir won in 37:15 and she was followed by Treloar Childs (UPE) and Thandeka Scout (Liberty Nike).
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