NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 23 – Newly-crowned world junior cross country champion Ishmael Kipkurui continued his ascendancy at the elite level when he ran a dominant race to win the men’s 3000m at the Maurie Plant World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Australia on Thursday.
The youngster clocked 7:41.38 to cross the finish line first, ahead of Australian Stewart McSweyn (7:44.36) and Ugandan Dan Kibet (7:50.11) who came second and third respectively.
Kipkurui’s victory came less than a week after a dogged race to win the men’s junior title at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia where he led fellow Kenyan, World Under 20 1500m champion Reynold Cheruiyot, to a 1-2 Kenyan finish.
The national men’s junior cross country champion timed 0:24:29 in first place as Cheruiyot clocked 0:24:30 in second, ahead of third-placed Boki Diriba of Ethiopia who timed 0:24:31.
The Maurie Plant meet, held in Melbourne, was this year upgraded to a Gold label event, making it one of the most prestigious on WA’s calendar of Continental Tour events.
After Australia, attention shifts to San Juan Capistrano in California, United States where the second leg of the Continental Tour Gold series will be held next weekend.
