Kiprop, Chesakit qualify for Beijing World Champs

Uganda's Kiprop. Agency Photo

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Athletics. Meanwhile, Adero Nyakisi took fourth place in the women’s 21km race at the Rabat Marathon.

KAMPALA. Jackson Kiprop capped his return to the rigours of marathon after 30 months with a fifth-place finish at the Enschede Marathon in Netherlands yesterday.
Having sat out last season due to kidney complications, the Ugandan runner clocked two hours, 13 minutes and six seconds.
However, Kiprop would have left the Dutch event victorious had he not squandered his lead at the 36km mark.
“He had done well to lead the race but his legs gave away with 6km to go,” Kiprop’s manager Jurrie van der Velden told Daily Monitor via phone.
It was 2008 Chicago Marathon champion Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot, who capitalised on Kiprop’s burn out to win in 2:09:40 ahead of Ethiopian Kaleb Keshebo (2:09:44) and compatriot Edwin Kimaiyo (2:09:47).
Nonetheless, Kiprop’s time was well below the 2:18:00 qualification standard for the 29-year-old to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China later this year.
Kiprop’s training partner Alex Chesakit reaped greatly from his international debut marathon. The reigning MTN Kampala Marathon champion too, beat the Worlds’ grade by 22 seconds after clocking 2:17:38 to finish tenth at the Rabat Marathon in Morocco.
This implies six Ugandans have qualified for Beijing including World and Olympic champion Kiprotich, Glasgow Commonwealth bronze medalist Abraham Kiplimo, Solomon Mutai and Phillip Kiplimo.
It remains to be seen who Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) will consider but what remains undisputable is that Uganda will have its biggest marathon squad ever at the Worlds in Beijing from August 22-30.
WEEKEND RESULTS

WEENSCHEDE MARATHON
1 Evans Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:09:40
2 Kaleb Keshebo (ETH) 2:09:44
3 Edwin Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:09:47
4 Million Feyssa (ETH) 2:12:14
5 Jackson Kiprop (UGA) 2:13:06
RABAT MARATHON
1 Justus Jilali (KEN) 2:10:88
2 John Zouane (ETH) 2:10:50
3 Abraham Derbali (ETH) 2:11:38
10 Alex Chesakit (UGA) 2:17:38

UGANDANS FOR BEIJING WORLD CHAMPS
•Stephen Kiprotich (2013 World Champion) - Wild Card*
•Abraham Kiplimo (2014 Commonwealth Bronze Medallist
•Solomon Mutai (4th, 2014 Commonwealth Games)
•Phillip Kiplimo (8th, 2014 Commonwealth Games)
•Jackson Kiprop (5th, 2015 Enschede Marathon)
•Alex Chesakit (10th, 2015 Rabat Marathon) - 2:17:38