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Jefferson Sietei tackle one of the many hills on the Kisii Golf Course route (Peter Njenga).

Kisii, Kenya - Jefferson Siekei, took victory in the men's 12km race at the fourth meeting of Athletics Kenya's weekend cross country series on Saturday (16) in the hilly western Kenyan town of Kisii.

In the senior women's race, Hellen Nzembi Musyoka notched-up her second victory of the six-race weekend series in similar commanding style in 28:29.

MEN

Siekei managed to master the hills at Kisii golf course - at an altitude of 2556 metres - which had been made slippery following an overnight downpour, to win in 36:28, having established a 100 metre gap head of his closest challenger Charles Sigei.

Siekei had remained with the leading pack of eight after 4km and they ran together tightly before Sammy Karanja, who represented the Kenya in the opening round of the Greatest Race on Earth in Nairobi recently, dropped out after his shoe came off.

By the fifth lap, Seikei had shrugged off everybody apart from two opponents, Sigei, sixth in Kisii weekend meeting last year in the junior boy's category, and the little known Wesley Lagat.

And in the final lap, Siekei sprinted away leaving Sigei and Lagat to sort themselves out for second position. In the end it was Sigei's speed which prevailed clocking 36:53 for second place ahead of Lagat, 36:58.

"I know these hills very well and this victory has given me the will to approach the next two races with a positive frame of mind," said Sietei who is expected to star again on 30 December at nearby Kericho for the fifth meet of the series which has been moved from Kabarak.

Olympics 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist Paul Kipsiele Koech finished eighth in what was one of his pre-season training races ahead of next year's track campaign.

WOMEN

Hellen Nzembi Musyoka, has recently shown promising form winning the Machakos weekend meeting and the Pune Half Marathon, India (73:20), last month. Running barefoot, she managed to find firm ground early in the race which proved to be an advantage. The opposition could not keep up as Musyoka broke away in the second lap and so she ran alone until the end. Second placed Katunge Mutune, runner-up at the 10km category of the 2005 Mombasa Marathon, clocked 28:45.

JUNIORS

Nicholas Makau of Machakos won the junior men's race, an improvement on the second position he posted in Machakos recently with a time of 24:04.

Unknown Mercy Cherono relegated Emmy Chepkurui, fourth in the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, to second place in the junior women 6km race when she clocked 20:41 and Chepkurui 21:10.