(01/05/2005)

World junior 8km cross-country champion, Augustine Choge was the star attraction at the fifth Athletics Kenya weekend meeting held at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

Choge outpaced a quality field that include Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi, former world 4km cross country champion, Benjamin Limo and former world youth 1500m champion, Isaac Songok to win the men's 1,500 metres in 3:40:6.

Shadrack Korir finished second in 3:41.8 and Julius Bett was third in 3:42:4.

Songok was sixth in 3:44.3, Limo was seventh in 3:45:0 while Kemboi finished a disappointing 10th in 3:46:0.

East African Standard's Chris Mbaisi reported that the event was used to select local athletes for the Tusker International Permit Meeting slated for next Saturday in Kasarani.

Mbaisi reported other results as follows:

Irene Birgen won the women’s 1,500m in 4:23:5 and Edwin Soi won the men’s 5,000m in 13:42:0.

World junior 6km cross-country silver medallist, Veronica Nyarwai won the women’s 3,000m in 9:16:4.

Monica Wangare won the women’s 10,000m in 32:56:0, and Vincent Mumo beat African 800m champion Mwengi Mutua to second place(47.4 secs) in the 400m with a modest 47.3 secs.