Ugandan long-distance runner Mercyline Chelangat claimed victory at the Poznan half marathon on Sunday.

The olympian clocked 1:09.23 to top the field that had Lydia Simiyu of Kenya coming second in 1:10.19 and Addisalem Tegegn of Ethiopia completing the podium in 1:10:21.

It was Chelangat’s first half marathon and was just just a minute off the national record set by Juliet Chekwel in the same country.

https://t.co/uhGqi1ASnH pic.twitter.com/n6yQUywQbP

— Poznań Maraton (@poznanmaraton) April 3, 2022

Chekwel ran the national record of 1:08.44 in Gdynia during the World Half Marathon in 2020.

2022 Poznan Half Marathon | Top 5 Women

1. Mercyline Chelangat (Uganda) – 1:09:23
2. Lydia Simiyu (Kenya) – 1:10:19
3. Addisalem Tegegn (Ethiopia) – 1:10:20
4. Lillian Lelei (Kenya) – 1:11:05
5. Izabela Paszkiewicz (Poland) – 1:11:18  

The quest for places at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA continued for Ugandan athletes at the National Athletics Trials.

The third National Athletics Trials took center stage on Saturday, 2^nd April at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole with no athlete making the grade for the world championships.

However, five athletes qualified for other championships. Three made the qualifying times for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships and two qualified for the World U20 Championships.

Rachael Zena Chebet, Winnie Nanyondo, and Annet Chelangat made the qualifying time for the 10000m at the African championships.

Meanwhile, Martin Kiprotich and Dismas Yeko qualified for the World U20 Championships in the men’s 5000m. The U20 Championships will be held in Cali, Colombia.

The next trials will be held on 16th April and will double as an Inter-Secondary School Championship.

Ugandan long-distance runner and World Champion Stephen Kiprotich has encouraged athletes to desist from doping.

Kiprotich who is based at the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat – was reacting to the recent revelations of doping among Kenyan athletes.

“To the Kenyan athletes, my brothers and sisters, use your energy where you can but simply stop where you can’t,” Kiprotich said.

“I always tell my fellow athletes that doping will affect you after your career because you will be sick and, instead of enjoying farming and other business, you will be spending your life in hospital.

“Nothing comes on a silver platter – it’s all about hard work,” he added.

Last year’s World Marathon Majors $500 (Sh45 million) jackpot winner Rita Jeptoo was banned and stripped of her title following a positive test for banned blood booster EPO.

She has since been suspended from the sport for two years. Her past has seen her win the Boston Marathon three times, including setting the then course record at 2:18:57 in 2014.

The Kenyan also won marathons in Chicago, Stockholm, and Milan, as well as having represented Kenya in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.

Ugandan long distance runner Mercyline Chelangat has revealed how she will be walked down the aisle by her new found love Benson Cheboriot.

Chelangat is also a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist who has represented Uganda in various international events.

In an interview with New Vision Sports, the 24-year-old announced that she was getting married to Benson – an officer of the Uganda Police Force, holding the rank of captain – on March 28, Monday.

“The champion of my heart, the jewel of my career and closest honest friend I have ever had is coming, making it official on Monday,” Chelangat, the Inspector of Police (IP) revealed.

Her exploits are following Joshua Cheptegei who married his long-time fiancée, Carol Yeko Kamari, in October, last year.

The marital ceremony will take place at Chelangat’s late father Neslon Chepkurui Mondos’ ancestral home in Tulwo village, Rorok Parish, Suam sub-county, Bukwo district.

Ugandan middle-distance runner Halimah Nakaayi claimed the country’s first-ever medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships after she claimed bronze in the women’s 800m on Sunday.

Nakaayi ran 2:00.66 to cross finish after winner American Ajee Wilson and Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu who posted 1:59.09 SB and 2:00.54 SB respectively.

The 27-year-old was primed to finish top as the winner and she felt she had the guts to seal it but says she may have mistimed her start.

“Maybe my reaction was too slow and that cost me the gold medal,” said Nakaayi, reflecting on Wilson’s decisive break.

“Right now I am glad for a medal despite the fact that my tactics were prepared to win gold.”

By the first 100m split, Nakaayi was toe to toe with leader Jamaica’s Natoya Goule just five seconds off.

She kept with the speeds by the 200m split but slipped to 3rd when Ethiopian Habitam Alemu upped her pace to take second place.

Nakaayi rose back to second with about 200m to go but it was quite a big ask to seal it with Wilson and Hailu charging like metronomes.

WOMEN’S 800m MEDALLISTS
🥇	Ajee Wilson 🇺🇸 USA	1:59.09 SB
🥈	Freweyni Hailu 🇪🇹 ETH	2:00.54 SB
🥉	Halimah Nakaayi 🇺🇬 UGA	2:00.66

Halima Nakaayi is through to the finals of the women’s 800m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Nakaayi finished 3rd in Heat 3 with a time of 2:01.47 but was good enough to qualify for the medal race via the two spots reserved for fastest positions outside the top two.

Heat 3 was the fastest as Nakaayi’s time was better than the top two in Heats 1 and 2.

The UWA athlete will have to see off Jamaican Natasha Goule and Australian Catrion Bisset who have both run under 2 minutes for the season as well as Ajee Wilson of the United States.

The medal race will be run on Sunday at 8:05 pm (EAT).

Ugandan middle-distance runner Winnie Nanyondo will have to see off competition from three Ethiopians to win a medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022.

Nanyondo advanced to finals of the women’s 1500m after coming second in Heat 1, which was the fastest, in a time of 4:06.11, a couple of seconds off Axumawit Embaye.

The UWA athlete will have to see off world indoor 1500m record-holder Gudaf Tsegay who topped her heat in 4:06.71 as well as Hirut Meshesha who won her heat in 4:05.75.

Nanyondo will have to better her season 4:03.54 she ran last month in Poland in the Saturday final if she is to win a medal. The race is scheduled for 10:35 pm (EAT).

Meanwhile, Halima Nakaayi will be in action in the morning session of Saturday in the women’s 800m. She will run in Heat 3 scheduled for midday (EAT).

Peruth Chemutai is a rising star whose ascension continues in the World of Athletics to date. From sensationally collecting Gold in Tokyo last year to starting the season with victory at the Belgium CrossCup de Hannut earlier this year, she’s proving a shooting star that will not go out any time soon.

We focus on her journey through the years as she rose the ranks until that lonely race at the Olympic Stadium, setting a lead like no other before crossing the finish line in fine fashion to become the first Ugandan woman ever to win an Olympic medal.

Her success dates back to 2013 in Bukwo district – her home area. Chemutai as adventurous as she is barely knew she would be where she is today. Her dream was to become a doctor or a teacher. “ I always visualized myself either treating patients or on a blackboard imparting knowledge,” she is quoted by New Vision.

However, her choice to attend the District Athletics Championships as a casual fan changed everything. With the cut-throat competition between runners, Chemutai says she “liked what she was seeing. “Running looked real good. I felt like trying it out,” she added.

Back then she was a Chemron Primary School student and before long, she was already attempting to give it a shot against seasoned athletes. Within two years, she had won two silver at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in the 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase.

Chemutai realized more success when she competed in the junior women’s race at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, finishing in 7th place. In 2016, she finished in 7th place in the final of the women’s 3000m Steeplechase event at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Inexperience is hard to buy and some of her early challenges were that. She huffed and puffed at the Rio Olympics in Brazil and even though her time of 9:31.03 in the heats did not qualify her for the final, she picked a few lessons.

Two years later, Peruth was at the medal table after winning silver at the 3000m Steeplechase race of the 2018 World Junior Championships. It was a national record of 9:07.94. 2019 was the last time she ran in a major competition before the COVID 19 pandemic that forced a halt of all international sport. She finished 5th at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Aarhus, Denmark.

Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that were postponed to 2021, Chemtai believed she was primed for success at the event. “I can do better. All I need is a little more practice and exposure and I will be able to compete with the best.”. Her dream was to break the steeplechase record at the games.

All of Uganda’s 10 medals at the Olympic Games had come from men. The nation’s two Olympic golds before then had come from John Akii-Bua at Munich 1972 and marathon runner Stephen Kiprotich at London 2012.

Pre-race attention had been on the past three world champions: Beatrice Chepkoech, Emma Coburn, and Hyvin Kiyeng. Chemutai, meanwhile, had finished some way off the leaders in her two international races before, so she went largely unnoticed. After clocking a season’s best of 9:12.72 in her heat she eventually got a couple talking.

On the Tele back in Uganda, Peruth leading the large pack through the first kilometre in 3:05.18 was probably a thing that worried man as all the big contenders looked extremely comfortable with the pace. After another lap, USA’s 2017 world silver medallist Courtney Frerichs took up the lead and stretched out the field.

Chemutai was the only one to go with Frerichs toe to toe and even though the rest of field perceived the duo would let up, catching even became more difficult. The North American record-holder had a five-metre gap on Chemutai while the rest of the chasers were a whooping 10 metres adrift.

The cracks were starting to show in the final lap when Frerichs started losing ground. Chemutai was just a couple of seconds away with glory in sight. With 250 metres to go, Chemutai successfully overtook her, flew over the final water jump – feet not even touching the barrier – and paced down the home straight to win in 9:01.45.

“I am feeling great. Today I made it. It is the first time Uganda gets the gold medal in 3,000m steeplechase. I am so happy to be an Olympic champion,” the visibly tired 22-year-old said.

Chemutai had created history by becoming Uganda’s first woman to win an Olympic medal, having edged out Frerichs (silver) and Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng (bronze).

At that moment her special milestone meant Uganda had won three Gold at the Olympics overall. The first Gold was won by John Akii Bua in the 1972 games in Munich over the 400m hurdles. The second medal by Stephen Kiprotich at the 2012 London Olympics over the men’s marathon. Later Joshua Cheptegei made them four when he won the 5000m final at the same event.

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World Champion Halimah Nakaayi will want to share the spotlight with her closest rivals or if not eclipse them in the 800m when they face off at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade between 18th to 20th March.

Nakaayi will be in line to stamp her authority in the category but competition from rivals Brit Keely Hodgkinson and Jamaican Natoya Goule will spruce up the show in pursuit of glory.

Hodgkinson is last year’s Olympic silver medalist and Diamond League champion with a stunning national record of 1:57.20 indoors. “ I definitely got a lot of confidence from last year,” Hodgkinson told World Athletics.

“I don’t really feel any pressure, I just feel like I want to go out there and do my best in every race.”

Natoya comes into this race with a National Record of 1:58.46 this year, previously having claimed the 2019 Pan American Games champion and 2018 NACAC Championships silver.

Australian Catriona Bisset is also expected to stand up to the challenge bringing sweet memories of victory at the 2019 Oceanian games and World University Games.

This will be Nakaayi’s 6th race this season having been in France, Poland and Germany, all indoor 800m races. She has dipped under two minutes twice, her best so far being 1:58:58 at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais, Arena Stade Couvert, Liévin. 

Uganda’s long distance athlete Ali Chebures signed a year-long agreement with Spanish agency Xiruca.

Chebures is one of the athletes affiliated to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and was scouted by an American agency, High Altitude training of Arizona.

Upon expiry of the existing deal, he was taken on Xiruca Sports Agency, whose Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Monica Pont Chafer.

Chebures is the reigning champion of Kampala Elite marathon and also recently won the 10 KM event of the 2022 National cross country championship in Tororo.

He is also the current champion of 2022 Source of Nile half marathon (21KM) hosted in Jinja City where he clocked 1:02:00, beating Police’s Abel Chebet to the tape in a competitive race where Chebet had a timing of 1:02:04.

The leading pack also had another Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) athlete Geofrey Kusuro who finished third with 1:02:06.