Kenyan male runners top winners list in Bali

Kenyan male runners top winners list in Bali

Agence France-Presse, Kuta, Bali

Kenyan runners took the three top men's places in a 10-kilometer
(6.2-mile) run held here Sunday to promote the recovery of the
bomb-hit Indonesian resort island of Bali.

John Korier (28 minutes 32 seconds), Sammy Kitrouto (29:04)
and Abraham Kiprotich Tandoi (29:10) crossed the finish line
first in international men's category of the Bali 10-K Solidarity
Run.

They went home with cash prizes of US$10,000, $6,000 and
$3,000 respectively.

Japanese runner Teruto Ozaki (29:11) was in fourth place,
earning $2,000, while Tanzania's Fabian Joseph (29:31) took fifth
place and $1,500.

In the international women's category, Australia's Benita
Johnson took the $10,000 first prize with a time of 31 minutes
and 39 seconds.

Kenya's Leah Memeli Mallot (32:14) and South Africa's Elana
Meyer (32:17) took the second and third prizes of $6,000 and
$3,000 each.

Two other Kenyan women runners, Tegla Loroupe (32:42) and
Susan Jediwot Kurui (33.18), placed fourth and fifth.

Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri waved a flag to
signal the start of the race, which featured 15,000 runners and
included categories for student, national and general runners.

Organizers said the run was intended to help promote the
recovery of the tourism industry in Bali which suffered
enormously following the Oct. 12, 2002 blasts in a crowded and
popular pub area of coastal Kuta region that killed more than 190
people, mostly foreign tourists.