Nzioka, James Triumph In Inaugural Magnolia Girls Run At Arboretum
NAIROBI, Kenya-Three times Madoka 10km race winner Timothy Nzioka and Irene James are the winners of the inaugural Magnolia Girls Run held at the Arboretum in Nairobi at the weekend.
Nzioka clocked 33.19.81 to triumph in the 10km men’s category as Samson Mayiania (34.26.08) and Grishon Warenga (35.10.00) came second and third in that order.
James won the hotly contested women’s contest in 38.52.66 as Faith Mwende (39.44.40) and Margaret Jelimo (39.52.12) finished second and third respectively.
“I feel great with this victory, my body responded well to the course which I tackled with lots of ease, I’m sorry to say there was no worthy opponent to challenge and push me during the race,” Nzioka told Standard Sports.
Ahead of the race, Nzioka who hails from Yatta in Machakos County said he did elaborate training at the Magnolia Athletics Camp in Oloitoktok where he sharpened his speed.
“I’m just from a very prolonged injury which I sustained during the Africa Championships trials at the Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, I’m happy that injury is now over,” the two-time Mombasa 10km winner underlined.
Nzioka, 19, will be out to bag a ticket for the World Cross Country Championships slated for Sydney, Australia next year.
“I’m also targeting the World U-20 Championships, I will train hard ahead of the trials,” underscored Nzioka who will be heading for an athletics and educational scholarship at the University of Japan in March.
James, who led the women’s category from gun to tape, said the race was fine and she was glad to have carried the day.
“I use the Sotik Road Race held the other week to prepare for this contest, I’m happy it paid off,” the 16 year old Form two student at AIC Oloitoktok Secondary School stated.
Magnolia Girls Rescue Centre founder Robert Saruni said the objective of the race was to raise funds to aid the center as well as to help sensitize the public on the plight of the girl child, especially on Gender Based Violence.
“The turnout was low but the feedback was great, the race was full of fun too. We plan to host the next event in September next year before we take the competition to the rest of the Kenyan counties,” Saruni said.
Darius Stuj who is also the Co-Founder of the Magnolia Girls Rescue Centre was happy that young people turned up to take part in the race whose other objective is to harness potential talent in athletics.
“Kevin ‘Kipchoge’ Mule is one of such talents who have landed a scholarship and will be joining the Magnolia Athletics Camp to reside and train,” Stuj said
