Runners Cheruiyot, Makau clinch top awards

Double world 5000m and 10000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot and Patrick Makau, the marathon world record holder were on Thursday named Kenya's Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year. It was the second major accolades for both athletes this year after being named winners of the Athletics Kenya top female and male awards earlier this month. Cheruiyot, who became the first Kenyan woman to win both long distance events at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, said the two awards made up for missing out in last month's World Female Athlete of the Year award in Monaco which went to Australian hurdler Sally Pearson. "In Monaco I knew I would be named the Athlete of the Year. I was so disappointed because I felt I had worked hard enough to deserve the award but the judges thought otherwise. But today I feel honoured to be respected and acknowledged by my own here in Kenya," said Cheruiyot. "With these trophies, I think I don’t care about the world title I missed. This gives me better satisfaction and peace,"she added.