Kiprotich runs away with titles before walking down the aisle
Thomas Kiprotich celebrated the penultimate weekend of bachelorhood with a brace of road race victories.
On Saturday afternoon, the speedy Kenyan won the third and final leg of the AVOHK 5K Series at Bowen Road, despite several niggling injuries.
Yesterday morning, he turned out again to race the Ulfenbo Quarter Marathon in Tai Po, and again left the field in his wake.
Kiprotich and fiancee Nerida Ashton will tie the knot in Sai Kung on October 19 and will fly to Singapore for their honeymoon, where Kiprotich will run in a 10-kilometre race.
'Four members of my family will arrive in Hong Kong next weekend for the wedding,' said Kiprotich, who ran 33 minutes and 57 seconds for his Tai Po win yesterday.
'We eventually decided to get married in Hong Kong because it's more or less halfway between my family's home in Kenya and Nerida's family in Australia.'
After the wedding the couple will immediately file an application for Kiprotich to take on dependant-spouse status, which will enable him to realise his year-long quest to be able to work as a coach in Hong Kong.
Kiprotich was both delighted and frustrated with his AVOHK win on Saturday because, although the Bowen Road course is flat and fast, it is also quite narrow, and a popular venue for dog walkers and families with young children.
'I nearly ran into an old guy when I took one of the corners at speed,' Kiprotich said. 'It would be safer for everyone if the organisers could get a road closure permit just for half an hour on race day.'
Yesterday's race was staged on a traffic-free road, which allowed Kiprotich to lead the 1,200-strong field home in a new course record time, and almost three minutes clear of second-placed Lai Ho-ki.
