The 2023 Durban 10K third-place finisher, Fridah Ndinda, has firmly set her sights on the Commonwealth Games after delivering a statement victory at the 2nd Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field weekend meeting at Thika Stadium.
Ndinda was in imperious form as she clocked 16:31.9, edging out Gladys Cherop (16:32.9) and Tabitha Wanjiru (16:33.2) top the podium. Buoyed by her Thika triumph, Ndinda is now bullish about donning the Kenyan singlet for the very first time at the Commonwealth Games, set for August in Glasgow, Scotland.
“This year, we have the Commonwealth Games and also other big competitions. I am ready for any competition,” Ndinda said.
The 25-year-old revealed that patience and race craft were central to her winning strategy, opting for a sit-and-wait approach before unleashing her decisive kick. “The race was good. Gladys controlled the pace well, and I sat behind her waiting for the final kick,” she explained.
“I was confident in the training I had done before this meeting, so I knew my kick was good,” Ndinda added.
Ndinda also cited double world record holder Beatrice Chebet and quadruple 1,500m world champion Faith Kipyegon as her chief sources of inspiration, drawing lessons from their devastating late surges.
“My coach has been motivating me. From the final 300m to 200m, you can see how Chebet and Kipyegon kick. I have been watching them so I can improve myself,” she said.
She noted that the victory has injected fresh motivation as she targets further success in the upcoming AK weekend meetings. “This victory will motivate me to feature in the other upcoming weekend meetings. This is just the beginning,” she said.
Ndinda enjoyed an impressive 2025 campaign across both track and road. She opened her season with a 12th-place finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 1:09:49, before finishing fourth at the Burj2Burj half marathon in Dubai in 1:10:21.
She followed that with a 14th-place finish at the Istanbul half-marathon (1:12:11) before switching gears to the track, where she placed 12th in the 5,000m at the National Championships in 16:56.83.
She capped off the year with a fourth-place finish at the Phalaborwa Half Marathon in South Africa (1:14:50) and a seventh-place finish at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2:35:22. Cherop, who led for the better part of the race, admitted she had hoped for a faster time.
“I was targeting to run 15 minutes, but unfortunately, I ran 16. There is always a next time,” Cherop said. She revealed that a hamstring issue hampered her finishing kick. “I had a problem with my hamstring, and so I couldn’t kick well in the final lap,” she added.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Wanjiru, a Grade 10 student at Kiambongo Secondary School, was delighted with her podium finish. “The race was competitive, but I tried my best. I had trained well for the race, and I was optimistic I would get a podium,” she said.
In the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Mercy Chepng’eno produced a strong run to claim victory in 10:28.9, leading Tecla Cheserek (10:34.6) and Winsam Cherono (10:35.5). Chepng’eno admitted she had not anticipated emerging victorious. “I did not expect to win today, but I thank God that I was able to win,” she said.
Her next focus is the World Under-20 Championships in Eugene, scheduled for August. “I am preparing for the World U20, and I am ready to conquer the world,” Chepng’eno declared.
“I will prepare myself well so that I can go and run well.” Cheserek was equally pleased to have secured a podium place.
“I am happy to have made the podium. I did not expect it,” she said, noting that she plans to fine-tune her barrier technique ahead of future races. “The only challenge for me was the water barrier, which I want to ensure I improve on,” she added.
Cherono also walked away encouraged by her podium finish. “The race was not easy, but I pushed myself to ensure I ended on the podium,” she said. Looking ahead to the second AK meeting, Cherono is keen to sharpen her speed. “I have the endurance, but I need to improve more on my speed,” she noted.
by TEDDY MULEI
