NAIROBI, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- World 10,000 meters bronze medallist Moses Mosop brushed off stiff challenge from fellow runners to win the 12km race of the national trials held in Nairobi.

    Mosop and world junior 5000 meters silver medallist Florence Kiplagat won the seniors events at the final Kenyan trials for the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships which were full of upsets at the Ngong race course on a hot and humid late Saturday.

    World junior champion Florence Korkwang won the junior women's race and newcomer Mathew Kisorio the men's junior contest.

    Gideon Ngatuny, who was in position four with a kilometer to go, out-sprinted Hosea Macharinyang and Bernard Kipyego before trying to overtake Mosop.

    However, Mosop responded with venom as he produced his trademark kick to win the race in 38:40.0. "I noticed him (Ngatuny) on my shoulder and made a quick decision to shoot ahead," he said.

    Ngatuny, on the other hand, said he made his move late otherwise they would have battled to the tape. Ngatunyi was second in 38:43.0 while Macharinyang settled for third place in 38:49.0.

    Three pre-race favorites -- Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Musyoka and Veronica Nyaruai -- were among dozens of athletes who bowed out with stomach stitches during the late afternoon meeting, which attracted over 10,000 spectators.

    Mosop was a beneficiary of the former world 5,000m champion Kipchoge who had just taken the lead with a 1,000m to go when he collapsed in pain.

    Mosop, who took bronze in the 10,000m at the world championships in Helsinki, took the lead, closely chased by South Rift champion Hosea Macharinyang, Simon Arusei and Ngatuny. But Mosop proved the better runner and he stretched his lead by 20 meters.

    Ngatuny, second in the national championships, embarked on a concerted effort to bridge the gap. He overtook the two athletes ahead of him and caught up with Mosop with 100m to go.

    But Mosop regained the led and broke the tape in 30 minutes 40 seconds. Ngatuny, a member the Beijing Ekiden winning team and first in the Nyanza South Provincial Championships stopped the clock in 39:43. Matelong clocked 38:49 after overhauling Arusei towards the end who posted 38:54.

    However, despite dropping out from the race, Kipchoge was named in the team together with former African 3,000m steeplechase champion Richard Matelong, who finished outside the top 10.

    Eleven athletes were picked in the category but only nine are expected to compete during the event next month. The biggest casualty in the junior women's 6km was Nyaruai, who pulled out of the race with stomach cramps. Contrary to expectations that she would get a wildcard, Athletics Kenya shut the door on her as they named a provisional squad of nine athletes in the category.

    Nyaruai said that if given a chance she would make up for her loss. "Here it was Pauline Korkwang, Mercy Kosgei and myself. I am very disappointed," she said.

    Korkwang had no match in the junior girls' race after Nyaruai retired and took the lead after two kilometers to win with close to 100m to spare, which prompted the five-time world cross country champion Paul Tergat to say that competition in the junior categories was unimpressive.

    Korkwang beat Mercy Kosgei by 45 seconds to clock 21:59, with Chebet Cheptai second in 22:14. Mathew Kisorio beat Nicholas Makau who was really good in weekend meetings in the junior boys category in posting 26:02. Makau followed in 26:09 and Leonard Komon, second in Fukuoka last year, was timed 26:14.