NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 1 – World 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech ushered in the new year with a third-place finish in the women’s 10km race at the San Silvestre Vallecana meet in Madrid, Spain on New Year’s Eve.
The 2019 World 3000m steeplechase champion clocked 31:06, behind winner Priscah Chesang of Uganda who timed 30:19 while two-time World Indoor champion, Burundian Francine Niyonsaba came second in 30:58.
It was the 31-year-old’s second podium finish in a month following her third-place finish in the senior women’s 2km race at the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships, which were held early December at the Kenya Prisons Training College in Ruiru.
The National Police Service officer will be hoping for more of the same in 2023, following on from a somewhat disappointing 2022 during which she missed out on the World Championships in Oregon as well as the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
In the men’s 10km race, world 10,000m record holder Joshua Cheptegei clocked 27:09 to beat the tape and snatch the crown from Spaniard Mohammed Katir who came second in 27:19 as another homeboy, Jesus Ramos, finished third in 27:52.
Elsewhere, World 10,000m bronze medalist Margaret Chelimo clocked 15:44 to finish third in the women’s race at the BOclassic Alto Adige event in Italy on New Year’s Eve.
The winner was Ethiopian Seyaum Dawit who clocked 15:33 in first place as Albanian Gega Luiza who came second in 15:41 in what was a tightly-contested race.
Chelimo, who also clinched silver in the women’s 5,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, last won the Italian event in 2020.
