FELL/ROAD

ROAD

Josphat Kimkemboi Kemei gains a narrow Swansea victory in a time of 29:06

HUW JOHN

ROAD

ADMIRAL SWANSEA BAY 10km, Swansea

JOSPHAT KIPKEMBOI KEMEI edged out fellow Kenyan Barnaba Kipkoech by two seconds over the last 20 metres in an exciting sprint finish, stopping the clock on 29:06.

Third place in 30:01 went to the fast-developing Swansea Harrier and Eritrean Danal Desta, who won the previous week’s Cardiff 10km.

Katrina Wootton won the women’s race in 32:54 after catching the early leader from Kenya.

Kemei, Kipkoech and Desta led from the start with consistently brisk pacing, clocking early kilometre splits of 2:46, 2:50, 2:56, 2:58 and 2:52 and reaching the turn in Mumbles in 14:22, which was where Desta started to lose touch with the leading two. From then on it was just a battle between the two Kenyans with the slowest kilometre of 3:02 at 6km.

Still together with just over 200 metres to go, a final burst from Kemei saw him home on only his second trip to the UK.

Kemei said: “I’m happy with the run. It was my first time here. I was told about it a few weeks ago and I enjoyed it.”

The first Brit home, winning the £250 British bonus was Cardiff’s Matthew Clowes in 30:09 from Paul Martelletti of Run-Fast and Swansea’s Jon Hopkins, who was running for Wales in the Inter-Area match.

In the women’s race, Winfridah Moseti, who is a new signing to the Run-Fast team and on her first trip to the UK, went out to an early lead, which she maintained until passing halfway in 17:18. On the return after the turn back at 5km, however, Coventry Godiva’s Katrina Wootton started to make inroads into Moseti’s lead and joined her by 6km. The pair were then neck and neck until 8km was reached in 26:22, but the strength of Wootton told in the final 100m as she won by five seconds.

Rachel Felton of Shaftesbury Barnet, the winner of the previous week’s Cardiff 10km, was third in 34:11.

Wootton also picked up the bonus first Briton prize of £250. She also joined an elite band of seven women who have run under 33 minutes at the event and is only the second non-Kenyan to do so.

The event also staged an Inter-Area match, featuring teams from Wales, Midlands, and Combined Services. Midlands were clear winners in the women’s race, while Wales won the men’s equivalent.

Former British international Angharad Mair won the W55 category in finishing 10th woman in 38:40. Overall: 1 J Kipkemboi Kemei (KEN) 29:06; 2 B Kipkoech (KEN) 29:09; 3 D Desta (Swan, U20) 30:02; 4 M Clowes (Card) 30:08; 5 P Martelletti (Run Fast, M35) 30:18; 6 J Hopkins (Swan) 30:47; 7 T Merson (B&W) 31:01; 8 C Jones (Card, M35) 31:12; 9 F McNally (Phoe) 31:21; 10 G Smith (Swan) 31:26; 11 P Molyneux (Spring S, M35) 31:27; 12 B Cole (Ton) 31:27; 13 C Lovatt (Swan, U20) 31:53; 14 S Mitchell (Notts) 31:53; 15 C Carpanini (Swan) 32:02; 16 J Dixon (Stroud) 32:10; 17 O Mott (Chelt) 32:15; 18 A Maclean (Swan, M35) 32:30; 19 M Rees (Swan) 32:32; 20 D Westbury (Der) 32:50; 21 I Harris 32:51; 22 M Williams (Notts) 32:52; 23 K Wootton (Cov, W) 32:54; 24 J Millar (B&W) 32:54; 25 W Moraa Mosetti (Run Fast, U20W) 32:59; 26 P Graham (P’pridd R) 33:07; 27 S Hazell (Cov, M35) 33:44; 28 J Riley (B’end) 33:48; 29 P Clark (Notts) 33:48; 30 M Rallison 34:02; 31 R Felton (SB, W35) 34:11; 32 J Scott (Newq RR, M50) 34:14; 33 S Frear (W’stock, M35) 34:16; 34 A Bampton (Chelt) 34:29; 35 R Barnes (Avon VR, W35) 34:34; 36 I Owen (San D) 34:41; 37 T Griffiths (G&G) 34:42; 38 M Jacklin (A’dare, M40) 34:44; 39 M Evans (A’dare) 34:50 M50: 2 C Wellstead 35:58; 3 A Blair (Les C) 36:21; 4 P Coles (P’pridd R) 36:23; 5 M Williams (Les C) 37:05. M55: 1 I Lloyd (Swan) 36:14; 2 D Hughes (Alt) 38:30. M60: 1 E Lepore (Les C) 39:07; 2 M Strange (FoD) 40:36; 3 R Evans (Les C) 40:58; 4 M Murphy (Les C) 41:00. M65: 1 S Johnston (Les C) 39:44 Women: 1 Wootton 32:54; 2 Moraa Mosetti 32:59; 3 Felton 34:11; 4 Barnes 34:34; 5 C Evans (P’pridd R) 35:42; 6 R Doherty (Higham) 36:04; 7 A Beynon-Thomas (Swan) 36:06; 8 H Buller (Worth, W35) 36:29; 9 C Hughes (Card) 37:09; 10 A Mair (Les C, W55) 38:40; 11 N Rees 38:42; 12 A Smith (Cov, W35) 39:49 W35: 5 J Holmes (Les C) 40:20; 6 C Rickards (FoD) 40:56. W40: 1 S Davies (Oxf C) 40:48. W45: 1 N Gething (Parc BB) 40:13; 2 N Morgan (Chep) 40:48; 3 S Leech (Carm) 41:06. W50: 1 S Watson (Les C) 41:31. W55: 2 J Brace (B’end) 43:57; 3 J Stanton 44:05; 4 L Eynon (TROTS) 45:09; 5 J Avery (Hast R) 46:44