Despite political temperatures hitting their peak here in Kenya consequently paralysing all the sports in the country, Kenyan runners were on the other hand basking in glory with wins in the international arena.
After several races were put off for security reasons, most notably the sixth round of the Kenya Commercial Bank-sponsored national cross country that was scheduled for this weekend in Nyahururu, Edwin Soi, Silvia Kibet and Moses Masai were flying the country's flag high in their specialities.
In Bolzano, Italy, Kenyan duo of Edwin Soi and Silvia Kibet added their names to the prestigious list of winners of the Bo classic Silvesterlauf road race in Bolzano that celebrated its 33rd edition this year.
Resilience
Both Soi and Kibet held off their young Ethiopian opponents in high-quality races. In the men's 10 km race, Soi had to content with 19-year-old Awash Fikadu Habtamu's resilience but managed to shake him off to settle for the runner-up spot.
The men's race started at a conservative pace in the first of eight laps. The rhythm was increased during the second lap when Moroccan Brahim Taleb went to the front clocking 7:29 after two laps closely followed by a large group that included Soi.
The race heated up in the eighth lap when Soi and Habtamu pushed the pace launching their kick for the ultimate prize.
Launched attack
The Kenyan and the Ethiopian engaged in a fierce neck-and-neck battle. During the last lap, Soi launched his attack showing the same sprint, which enabled him to score a double win in the 3, 000 and the 5, 000m at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart last September.
Soi crossed the finish line in the Waltherplatz in 28:50 to beat Habtamu who was left to watch as his opponent breasted the tape with a four seconds advantage.
Soi, who comes from Kericho and began running seven years ago, will be running at the Campaccio International Cross Country race on Saturday, where he will face Lebid again.
Kibet, who ran more cautiously in the first three laps leaving the initiative to her opponents, charged to the front and never looked back.
The Kenyan, fourth at the World Championships in Osaka and second at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart in the 5, 000m, launched her kick to cross the finish line in 16:01 beating Ethiopian, Emest Bedada to the second position by four seconds.
"The race started fast and my body responded well when I launched the final attack," Kibet was quoted saying in the IAAF website.
Solid performance
Further a field, their compatriot, Moses Masai was giving his opponents a run for their money, literally. Masai, a double African junior champion, never gave his opponents any hope of clinching the title as he led the pack from the onset.
Masai, fourth in the 10,000m world lists (26:49.20) in 2007, produced a solid performance over a difficult hilly course to take the race in 28:25. He outpaced his compatriot, Barnabas Kosgei by 18 seconds, with Portuguese Leão Carvalho taking the third podium position in 29:07.
After several races were put off for security reasons, most notably the sixth round of the Kenya Commercial Bank-sponsored national cross country that was scheduled for this weekend in Nyahururu, Edwin Soi, Silvia Kibet and Moses Masai were flying the country's flag high in their specialities.
In Bolzano, Italy, Kenyan duo of Edwin Soi and Silvia Kibet added their names to the prestigious list of winners of the Bo classic Silvesterlauf road race in Bolzano that celebrated its 33rd edition this year.
Resilience
Both Soi and Kibet held off their young Ethiopian opponents in high-quality races. In the men's 10 km race, Soi had to content with 19-year-old Awash Fikadu Habtamu's resilience but managed to shake him off to settle for the runner-up spot.
The men's race started at a conservative pace in the first of eight laps. The rhythm was increased during the second lap when Moroccan Brahim Taleb went to the front clocking 7:29 after two laps closely followed by a large group that included Soi.
The race heated up in the eighth lap when Soi and Habtamu pushed the pace launching their kick for the ultimate prize.
Launched attack
The Kenyan and the Ethiopian engaged in a fierce neck-and-neck battle. During the last lap, Soi launched his attack showing the same sprint, which enabled him to score a double win in the 3, 000 and the 5, 000m at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart last September.
Soi crossed the finish line in the Waltherplatz in 28:50 to beat Habtamu who was left to watch as his opponent breasted the tape with a four seconds advantage.
Soi, who comes from Kericho and began running seven years ago, will be running at the Campaccio International Cross Country race on Saturday, where he will face Lebid again.
Kibet, who ran more cautiously in the first three laps leaving the initiative to her opponents, charged to the front and never looked back.
The Kenyan, fourth at the World Championships in Osaka and second at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart in the 5, 000m, launched her kick to cross the finish line in 16:01 beating Ethiopian, Emest Bedada to the second position by four seconds.
"The race started fast and my body responded well when I launched the final attack," Kibet was quoted saying in the IAAF website.
Solid performance
Further a field, their compatriot, Moses Masai was giving his opponents a run for their money, literally. Masai, a double African junior champion, never gave his opponents any hope of clinching the title as he led the pack from the onset.
Masai, fourth in the 10,000m world lists (26:49.20) in 2007, produced a solid performance over a difficult hilly course to take the race in 28:25. He outpaced his compatriot, Barnabas Kosgei by 18 seconds, with Portuguese Leão Carvalho taking the third podium position in 29:07.
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