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Uganda’s Olympic and world finalist Winnie Nanyondo broke the national 1500m indoor record at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Karlsruhe Meeting on Sunday.
The race was Nanyondo’s first major competition of 2022 after her last appearance dating back to last year’s Kampala Half Marathon early December where she finished 6th in 1:17:04.
Nanyondo who posted 4:04.25 trailed behind eventual race winner – Ethiopian 2014 world indoor silver medallist Axumawit Embaye who ran a world-leading PB of 4:02.12.
She also crossed the finish line after other Ethiopians Hirut Meshesha and Olympic fourth-place finisher Freweyni Hailu ran 4:02.14 and 4:02.66 respectively.
The previous national 1500m indoor record of 4:06.13 was still owned by Nanyondo, set at the 2020 PSD Bank Meeting in Düsseldorf, Germany.
In comparison, Nanyondo clipped close to two seconds off her previous record. Last year, she ran 4:12.36 at the same event, finishing 2nd.
Women’s Results | 2022 World Athletics Indoor Tour Karlsruhe Meeting
- Axumawit EMBAYE – ETH – 4:02.12
- Hirut MESHESHA – ETH – 4:02.14
- Freweyni HAILU – ETH – 4:02.66
- Winnie NANYONDO – UGA- 4:04.25
- Aurore FLEURY – FRA – 4:07.09
- Marta PÉREZ – ESP – 4:07.52
- Katharina TROST – GER – 4:07.99
- Esther GUERRERO – ESP – 4:09.06
- Sara BENFARES – GER – 4:24.97
Hiwot MEHARI – ETH – DNF
Kristiina MÄKI – CZE – DNF
Ugandan runners Oscar Chelimo and Samuel Kibet finished 7th and 8th at the 90th edition of the Cinque Mulini in San Vittore Olona – the 11th Gold level meeting of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
The duo had been billed as some of the potential contenders of the race and indeed the spotlight was on Kibet when he took the lead of took of a 10-man group in the first lap.
Chelimo was also therein, as the pack also carried last year’s world U20 3000m champion Tadese Worku, Tadese Takele and Nibret Melak from Ethiopia; Daniel Kinyanjui, Emmanuel Kiplagat and Levy Kibet from Kenya; Habtom Samuel from Eritrea; and Jean Marie Bukuru from Burundi.
The lead pack was whittled down to six athletes during the second lap before Melak won the race for the second consecutive year.
He became the second Ethiopian athlete in the history of the men’s race to win at least two consecutive editions after Fita Bayisa.
Melak raced like no other in the final 150m to cross the finish line in 28:33, holding off Levy Kibet by two seconds.
Chelimo and Samuel Kibet crossed the finish line 7th and 8th in 29:05 ahead of Burundi’s Jean Marie Bukuru and Kenya’s Emmanuel Kiplagat.
Men’s Results | 2022 Cinque Mulini Cross Country Tour
1 Nibret Melak (ETH) 28:33
2 Levy Kibet (KEN) 28:35
3 Tadese Worku (ETH) 28:36
4 Tadese Takele (ETH) 28:36
5 Habtom Samuel (ERI) 28:43
6 Daniel Kinyanjui (KEN) 28:56
7 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 29:05
8 Samuel Kibet (UGA) 29:05
9 Jean Marie Bukuru (BDI) 29:11
10 Emmanuel Kiplagat (KEN) 29:22
Halimah Nakaayi returned to the global scene in style by claiming the women’s 800m at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Karlsruhe on Sunday.
Nakaayi posted a world lead of 2:02.81 after cruising clear on the last lap ahead of multiple German champion Christina Hering, who ran 2:03.73.
Hering’s compatriot Tanja Spill finished third in 2:04.39 while Benin’s Yarigo Noélie and Germany’s Kolberg Majtie made foruth and fifth places.
This was Nakaayi’s first major competition of 2022 after crossing the tape 2nd at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya last year in September.
Talking up the great season start, Nakaayi posted; “That’s how I opened my season at Karlsruhe in Germany, Am so grateful for the opportunity, Alhamudulillah.”
800m Women Results | Karlsruhe World Indoor Tour Gold meeting
1 NAKAAYI Halimah UGA 2:02.81 SB
2 HERING Christina GER 2:03.73 SB
3 SPILL Tanja GER 2:04.39 SB
4 YARIGO Noélie BEN 2:05.54
5 KOLBERG Majtie GER 2:05.98 SB
6 LINDH Lovisa SWE 2:09.08 SB
BAUMANN Jackie GER DNF
Ugandan long distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has been listed as one of the elite runners that will participate in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Saturday, 19th February in United Arab Emirates.
The race will be Kiplimo’s first engagement in 2022 after impressing at the Tokyo Olympics where he finished 3rd in the men’s 10,000m to claim bronze. He also made 5th in the men’s 5000m.
The currently holds the Half-Marathon World Record at 57:31 he set in Lisbon later last year. Kiplimo beat an elite field to by shave off one second off the previous world record set by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in 2020 Valencia.
Kiplimo faces stiff competition from Kenyan Abel Kipchumba who ran the second fastest time in the 2021 Half Marathon distance category, with an incredible personal best of 58:07.
The athletes will run a flat course, the route kicking off on Marjan Island Boulevard, right opposite the Double Tree by Hilton and the vibrant Race Village.
They will go through the island, passing all major hotel destinations as they head along Sheikh Mohammed Bin Salem Road, circle through Al Amwaj Avenue, before heading back to the starting point to cross the finish line.
The National Cross Country Championships will be held in February, Uganda Athletics Federation has confirmed.
The Championships will be held on Saturday, 12th February 2022 at the Tororo Golf Course, Tororo district.
The event will be used by the federation to select a national team at both Junior (under 20 in the year of competition) and senior levels (open) with a mixed relay (open) to prepare and represent the country at this year’s CAA Africa Cross Country Championship to be held in Maputo, Mozambique.
Clubs and institutes to compete in the championships have up 5th February to confirm their entry into the event.
Ugandan long distance runners Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have been ranked among the best of 2021.
This is the second time an independent organization is ranking the duo among the best of 2021. The first was done by Athletics International alongside with Athletics Weekly.
According to the LetsRun.com world rankings, Cheptegei tops the Men’s 3000/5000m category after claiming 5000m Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After the games, he followed it up with a 2-mile victory at the Pre Classic over a loaded field led by Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega.
“Those two big wins were enough to earn Cheptegei his first LetsRun.com World #1,” wrote the webiste.
Cheptegei made it to third place behind compatriot Kiplimo in the Men’s 10,000m rankings. Cheptegei finished second to claim silver at the Tokyo Olympics while Kiplimo crossed third to walk away with bronze.
“Every year, a new star seems to emerge: Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, and now Berihu Aregawi, the 20-year-old Ethiopian who finished 4th at the Olympics and ran a 5k road world record of 12:49 in December.”
Men’s 3000/5000 World Rankings
1. Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda
7:33.24 (#9)/12:54.69 (#8) SBs; 1st Ostrava, 6th Florence, 1st Olympics, 1st Pre
2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Norway
7:33.06 (#8)/12:48.45 (#1) SBs; 1st Euro indoors, 1st Florence, 1st Lausanne
3. Moh Ahmed, Canada
7:42.53 (#49)/12:50.12 (#3) SBs; 3rd Florence, 2nd Olympics, 9th Lausanne
4. Berihu Aregawi, Ethiopia
7:33.39 (#10) SB; 5th Pre, 2nd Lausanne, 1st Zurich (DL final). 12:51 and 12:49 WR on roads.
5. Paul Chelimo, USA
7:41.69 (#42)/12:59.05 (#14) SBs; 2nd Ostrava, 1st US Olympic Trials, 3rd Olympics, 3rd Pre
6. Nicholas Kimeli, Kenya
7:31.33 (#6)/12:59.17 (#15) SBs; 2nd Gateshead 1, 1st Kenyan Trials, 3rd Oslo, 4th Olympics, 11th Lausanne, 4th Zurich (DL final), 2nd Nairobi
7. Mohamed Katir, Spain
7:27.64 (#2)/12:50.79 (#4) SBs; 4th Euro indoors, 1st Gateshead 1, 4th Florence, 2nd Spanish champs, 1st Gateshead 2, 8th Olympics
8. Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda
7:41.27 (#39)/12:55.60 (#9) SBs; 1st Lucerne, 5th Olympics, 4th Pre
9. Birhanu Balew, Bahrain
7:33.05 (#7)/12:57.71 (#11) SBs; 7th Florence, 4th Oslo, 6th Olympics, 4th Lausanne, 2nd Zurich (DL final)
10. Jacob Krop, Kenya
7:30.07 (#4)/13:24.74 (#108) SBs; 7th Gateshead 1, 4th Kenyan trials, 2nd Oslo, 4th Gateshead 2, 7th Lausanne, 3rd Zurich (DL final), 1st Nairobi
Men’s 10,000m World Rankings
1. Selemon Barega, Ethiopia
26:49.51 SB (#2); 1st Addis Ababa, 1st Ethiopian trials, 1st Olympics
2. Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda
26:33.93 (#1); 1st Ostrava, 3rd Olympics
3. Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda
27:43.63, 2nd Olympics
4. Berihu Aregawi Ethiopia
26:50.37 SB (#4); 1st Ethiopian nationals, 3rd Ethiopian trials, 4th Olympics
5. Rodgers Kwemoi, Kenya
27:05.51A SB (#9), 1st Kobe, 1st Japanese nationals, 1st Gifu, 2nd Kenyan trials, 7th Olympics
6. Grant Fisher United States
27:11.29 SB (#13), 2nd The Ten, 2nd US Olympic Trials, 5th Olympics
7. Yomif Kejelcha, Ethiopia
26:49.73 SB (#3); 4th Ethiopian nationals, 2nd Ethiopian trials, 8th Olympics
8. Geoffrey Kamworor, Kenya
27:01.06A SB (#7); 1st Kenyan trials
9. Moh Ahmed, Canada
27:47.76 SB; 6th Olympics
10. Rhonex Kipruto, Kenya
26:43 SB (road), 27:11.01 track SB (#12); 1st Maia, 9th Olympics, world leader on roads
Based on times, positions in major events and win-loss records against fellow athletes, Joshua Cheptegei topped the 2021 men’s 5000m world merit rankings.
The statistics collated by Athletics International alongside with Athletics Weekly reveal that Cheptegei emerged top in 2021 after winning 5000m Olympic Gold in Tokyo.
Just before the games, he had ran a distance 6th place result at the Golden Gala in Italy. He ran out of steam towards the end to relinquish victory to 20-year old Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigsten.
In that race, he posted a season’s best of 12:54.69 but couldn’t come close to Jakob’s 12:48:45 – a European record.
“There were surprisingly few major races,” wrote Athletics Weekly about the 5000m ranking result.
“The panel was split between the top two; Ingebrigtsen raced 5000m just once but won in easily the year’s fastest race with 7 of the top 11 on the world lists from it, but while Cheptegei was ‘only’ 6th in Florence he went on to take the Olympic title. Zürich winner Berhihu Aregawi just misses a place.”
Cheptegei also made it to second position in the 10,000m merit rankings behind 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion Selemon Barega of Ethiopia.
Barega won Gold while Cheptegei won silver at the tightly contested challenge. Kiplimo who won Olympic bronze was ranked third despite the panelists favouring him for second position.
“Two panellists preferred Kiplimo to Cheptegei for 2nd, and it is a mixed picture for 7th to 10th, weighing up limited top races, especial the Olympics and the fast Ethiopian trial in Hengelo,” wrote Athletics Weekly.
World Merit Rankings
5000 METRES
1. Joshua Cheptegei UGA
12.9.96 (5y, 20- 1, 19- 5)
6 Florence 12:54.69
1 OG 12:58.15
2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen NOR
19.9.00 (1y, 19- 9)
1 Florence 12:48.45
3. Mohammed Ahmed CAN
5.1.91 (6y, 20- 4, 19- 7)
1 Irvine 13:18.49
3 Florence 12:50.12
2 OG 12:58.61 (13:38.96)
4. Paul Chelimo USA
27.10.90 (5y, 19- 10)
2/1 Virginia B 13:12.51i/13:09.90i
1 USA Ch/OT 13:26.82
3 OG 12:59.05 (13:30.15)
5. Nicholas Kimeli KEN
29.9.98 (3y, 20- 2, 19- 6)
2 Gateshead 13:10.11
1 KEN Ch 13:02.87A
4 OG 12:59.17
4 Zürich 13:02.43x
2 Nairobi 13:23.99A
6. Jacob Kiplimo UGA
14.11..00 (2y, 20- 3)
1 Luzern 12:55.60
5 OG 13:02.40 (13:30.40)
7. Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH
11.5.94 (7y, 19- 4)
2 Florence 12:49.02
8. Justyn Knight CAN
19.7.96 (1y)
5 Florence 12:51.93
7 OG 13:04.38 (13:30.22)
9. Mohamed Katir ESP
17.2.98 (1y)
1 Gateshead 13:08.52
4 Florence 12:50.79
2 ESP Ch 14:08.53
8 OG 13:06.60 (13:30.10)
10. Birhanu Yemataw Balew BRN
27.2.96 (3y)
7 Florence 12:57.71
6 OG 13:03.20 (13:39.42)
2 Zürich 13:01.27x
(x = irregular track in Zürich)
10,000 METRES
1. Selemon Barega ETH
20.1.00 (2y, 19- 5)
1 Addis Ababa 27:58.5A
1 ETH Trial 26:49.51
1 OG 27:43.22
2. Joshua Cheptegei UGA
12.9.96 (6y, 20- 1, 19- 1)
2 OG 27:43.63
3. Jacob Kiplimo UGA
14.11.00 (2y)
1 Ostrava 26:33.93
3 OG 27:43.88
4. Berihu Aregawi ETH
28.2.01 (1y)
1 ETH Ch 28:20.2A
3 ETH Trial 26:50.37
4 OG 27:46.16
5. Yomif Kejelcha ETH
1.8.97 (2y, 19- 2)
4 ETH-Ch 28:23.7A
2 ETH Trial 26:49.73
8 OG 27:52.03
6. Rodgers Chumo KEN
3.3.97 (3y, 19- 7)
1r1 Kobe 27:54.03
1 Fukoroi 27:33.33
1 Miyoshi 28:09.99
2 KEN Ch 27:05.51A
7 OG 27:50.06
7. Geoffrey Kamworor KEN
22.11.92 (4y, 19- 9)
1 KEN Ch 27:01.06A
8. Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH
11.5.94 (2y, 19- 4)
2 ETH-Ch 28:22.3A
4 ETH Trial 26:57.16
9. Grant Fisher USA
22.4.97 (1y)
2 San Juan C 27:11.29
2 US Ch/OT 27:54.29
5 OG 27:46.39
10. Mohammed Ahmed CAN
5.1.91 (3+y, 19- 8)
6 OG 27:47.76
World and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei will have to look forward to probably staving off a fresh challenge in Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi after he broke the 5km World record in Barcelona on Friday.
The record of 12:51 was previously owned by Cheptegei – set in 2020, at a road race in Monaco when he also shaved off 9 seconds from Kenya’s Sammy Kipketer 13:00 milestone ran in 2000.
However, Aregawi ran 12:49, taking two seconds off Cheptegei’s world record to become the new owner at the Cursa dels Nassos 5K.
The Diamond League 5000m champion had a pacemaker for company for the first kilometre in the race before racing the rest of it on his own, Kenyan Peter Maru finishing a distant second in 13:30.
Last month he had nearly broken Cheptegei’s world record in Lille but wasn’t successful. This time round, he joined the table of men as the hot prospect in the field with the 2024 Paris Olympics beckoning.
Ejegayehu Taye broke the women’s record with a time of 14 minutes and 19 seconds, taking nearly half a minute off the mixed race record, and beating Sweden’s Meraf Bahta, who came in second with a time of 15:04.
Leading results
Women
1 Ejegayehu Taye (ETH) 14:19
2 Meraf Bahta (SWE) 15:04
3 Carla Dominguez (ESP) 15:51
4 Meritxell Soler (ESP) 16:02
5 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 16:52
Men
1 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) 12:49
2 Peter Maru (KEN) 13:30
3 Mike Foppen (NED) 13:37
4 Mehdi Belhadj (FRA) 13:38
5 Santiago Catrofe (URU) 13:39
Ugandan long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has reminisced about the successful year of 2021, calling it one in which he realized his dream.
Among the honours he was yet to add to his glittering career was the Olympic medals. From his botched preparations in 2020, he looked at Tokyo as a place he had to shine without fail.
Despite not hitting the mark well to achieve gold in his much favoured distance of the 10,000m, Cheptegei claimed silver in race behind Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega.
Barega sprinted the last lap like no other to glory in 27 minutes 43.22 seconds, world champion Cheptegei crossing in 27:43.63.
Cheptegei responded in the subsequent 5000m where he finished with a time of 12 minutes, 58.15, for Olympic gold that has eluded him for so long.
Cheptegei sealed the gold – ahead of Mohammed Ahmed of Canada, who took the silver, and Paul Chelimo of the United States who scooped the bronze – with a ferocious charge over the last section after Jacob Kiplimo had led the pack early on.
The double medal success for Cheptegei etched his name in history as one of Uganda’s finest runners.
“In 2021 we reached unbelievable highs.The preparations and races before the Olympics were quit difficult, but I kept believing in my biggest dream. My dream came true @Tokyo2020 , an Olympic 🥇 & 🥈medal..” he wrote on his social media in memory of 2021.
He added, ”the silverback will keep on fighting with new big goals 2022.”
Uganda Police has promoted athletes Joshua Cheptegei and Peruth Chemutai following their Gold medal success at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.
Cheptegei claimed Gold in the men’s 5000m after finishing second days earlier in the 10,000m where he walked away with Silver behind Ethiopia’s Solomon Barega.
Today, Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola announced that Cheptegei had been promoted from Inspector of Police to Assistant Superintendent of Police.
Meanwhile Peruth Chemutai who also won Gold in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase was first re-graded from Special Police Constable to Constable then promoted to Inspector of Police.
Cheptegei won a gold medal in the 5000m race while Chemutai scooped gold in the 3000m steeplechase.
The IGP also revealed promotion athletics coach Benjamin Njia from Inspector of Police to ASP.
Athletes Mercyline Chalangat, Chemutai Immaculate and Shida Leni who also featured at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were also promoted from Assistant Inspector of Police to Inspector of Police, Corporal to Assistant Inspector of Police and Police Constable to Assistant Inspector of Police respectively.
The IGP also availed Police’s donation of a double cabin and Costa to transport athletes for their training sessions.