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.