Forces runner to lead World Cross squad

By Mutwiri Mutuota

For the second year running, Mark Kiptoo has been elected captain of the national cross-country team readying itself to face the world in Amman, Jordan, on March 28.

Armed Forces team-mate, Lineth Chepkurui, will assist Kiptoo, 32, in leading Kenya’s charges at the 37th World Cross. The two were picked by their team-mates on Friday after training.

Speaking to FeverPitch from Kigari, Embu, after yesterday’s training, Kiptoo pledged to assume the role of a leader and guide the team to victory.

“I am not going to sleep until the team delivered. This year’s teams are strong and a lot is expected of them following intense competition to select them at Ngong,” Kiptoo said.

He also promised to follow in the footsteps of Beijing Olympics team captain, Wilfred Bungei, and work hard towards delivering a podium performance.

Learn from

“I want to learn from Bungei and I’m working hard so that this year, I rally the team and get a medal for my country,” Kiptoo said.

Bungei led from the front to win the 800m gold at the Beijing Olympics while Kiptoo finished 14th at last year’s Edinburgh World Cross.

The runner who finished third at the Ngong trials admitted leading a Kenyan athletics team has its own weight but he was sturdy enough to handle the job.

“Kenya is known as a traditional powerhouse in athletics and a captain of the team carries the pressure to perform and that of satisfying expectations,” the skipper offered.

Elsewhere, junior runner, Titus Mbishei, says the absence of his friend and World Junior 10,000m champion, Josphat Bett, will not affect his resolve to finish at the podium in Amman.

Running kings

Since bursting onto the scene at the national trials for last year’s World Juniors in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Mbishei and Bett have formed a partnership that mirrors that of Ethiopia’s distance running kings, Kenenisa Bekele and Sileshi ‘Silver’ Sihine.

Bett led Mbishei to the line at the trials and again at the 10,000m final in Bydgoszcz as Kenya registered 1-2.

“I was disappointed that he (Bett) did not make it but I will work with those who are here to bring glory back home,” Mbishei told FeverPitch.

“The team we have here is strong and I believe will make up for missing on the gold last year,” the lanky Mbishei, who finished fifth at the Edinburgh World Cross, added.

At the Ngong trials, the two friends were running side by side and holding in top four positions until a dead leg in the last lap saw Bett slide to a 20th place finish. Mbishei held on to fifth and selectors gave him a wildcard.

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