Their finishes may have fallen just short of victory, but Victor Kimutai and Mercy Chebet Byegon emerged among the standout performers at the just-concluded 2026 Belgut Marathon, underlining the growing pool of young athletic talent in Kericho County.
Kimutai clocked a personal best of 14:05 to finish third in the men’s 5 km race, while Chebet Byegon posted 16:35 to finish fourth in the women’s 5 km category, with both athletes training under Kericho-based coach Gabriel Kiptanui.
In an interview with KNA, Kimutai, who lined up alongside 169 runners in the men’s 5km race, said the competition provided an important platform for athletes to gauge their performance and prepare for bigger races ahead.
The budding athlete clocked a personal best of 14:05 in the race. He said the achievement was encouraging, particularly because he had trained for less than a month while on his summer holidays.
Kimutai said the performance was a good sign as he prepares for his debut race in Japan next month, an 8.1 km speed race that will test his readiness for the upcoming Ekiden Trials.
The athlete, who earned an athletic scholarship to study at Josai University in Japan in 2021, expressed optimism about improving his results in future competitions.
“I am grateful to God; it was not a bad race, and so far I am pleased with my results. I have not even had a month in my training, but I have seen great improvements with my personal best of 14:05. This is a good sign as I prepare for an upcoming race next month in Japan, which is an 8.1 km race different from my normal races. It will be a speed race, and it requires adequate preparation. This will be my debut race, and it will determine my qualifying for Ekiden Trials,” said Kimutai.
In the women’s 5 km category, Byegon, who competed alongside 104 runners, attributed her performance to consistent training and determination.
The upcoming athlete said she remains focused on her dream of competing at higher levels and expressed confidence in improving her personal best times in future events.
“The race was not bad, and I am thankful to God that I emerged in fourth place. My personal best time was 16:35, and I am currently training to compete for a scholarship race on 11 September this year in Nakuru County.
Coach Gabriel Kiptanui, who is also the Athletics Kenya (AK) Kericho County branch vice chairman, said local competitions such as the Belgut Marathon play a key role in identifying and nurturing emerging talent, adding that with proper support and exposure, athletes like Kimutai and Chebet have the potential to compete at national and international levels.
He said the pace displayed across the three races was impressive, pointing to the men’s 21 km race where the top three athletes finished in about one hour. He said such times are unusually fast, noting that athletes typically complete the distance in between 1:20 and 1:40.
In the men’s 21km race, Kiprono Kimutai won in 1:00:46, followed by Wisley Kipkemoi Yego in 1:01:20 and Alex Nzioki Matata in 1:01:29. The women’s race was won by Jackline Chepgeno in 01:08:00, ahead of Janet Nyiva in 01:08:17 and Zenah Jemutai Yego in third position with a personal best time of 01:09:07.
Kimutai said the performances offered a glimpse of the potential within Kericho’s athletic ranks but urged stakeholders to provide emerging runners with more competitions, training opportunities, and support to help them progress to the national and international stage.
The athletics coach trains more than 20 athletes and has built a stable that includes several accomplished international athletes, among them 2015 steeplechase world champion Sheila Chelangat, 2023 and 2024 World Cross Country mixed relay champions Miriam Cherop and Daniel Munguti, 2013 World U18 1500m champion Robert Biwott, and two-time Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet.
By Sarah Njagi
