Olympians, world stars to battle for honors in national cross country

Beatrice Chebet celebrates after winning the 10km Senior Women race during the 2023 National Police Service Cross Country Championship at Ngong Race Course, Nairobi. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Seasoned track stars and their budding counterparts will be up against each other in the battle for honours at Saturday's National Cross Country Championships in Eldoret.

Top cross country charges representing Athletics Kenya (AK) regions were expected to arrive in Eldoret from last evening ahead of showdown.

The action will be staged at the Eldoret Sports Club, the same venue that hosted the 2019 National Cross Country showdown.

On Thursday, the federation said Olympic and world medallists would be among bigwigs who will be testing their endurance levels in tomorrow's thriller - a bronze level event.

Standard Sport had not accessed the start list by yesterday afternoon, but AK president Jackson Tuwei assured that athletes who qualified for the national contest at the regional cross country championships and events staged by the federation's affiliates will compete in tomorrow's showpiece.

In January, affiliates such as the National Police Service (NPS) assembled its arsenals in readiness for the Eldoret assault.

If confirmed for tomorrow's action, World 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and Sheila Chelangat, who were crowned the champions of the 13th edition of the National Police Service Cross Country Championship staged at Ngong Race Course in Nairobi, would lead the NPS Charge.

Robert Kiprop of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who won the Iten Cross Country build-up series before finishing third behind Kiplimo Mayabei at the NPS competition will also be a man to watch if he makes it to the final list.

Chelagat has claimed the national cross country titles in 2020 (34:34.9) and 2021 (34:56) and will be hoping to rewrite history in Eldoret, if her participation is confirmed.

NPS has previously displayed dominance at the National Cross Country Champions and during the global showpiece through big shots among them multiple World X-C gold medallists including Geoffrey Kamworor and Beatrice Chebet, the reigning champion.

Tuwei said all was set for the National Cross Country Championships happening in Eldoret City for the second time and in third Uasin Gishu County. It was staged in Kapseret in 2022.

The AK president said the National Cross Country Championships in Eldoret will usher in preparations for the 2025 Tokyo World Championships in September this year.

"Olympians will be participating and will be gauging their level of preparedness ahead of the track season and the Tokyo World Championships. The event is part of our Road to Tokyo campaign," Tuwei said.

He added: "We will be holding meetings with athletes on Friday (today) because information is key in events such as the National Cross Country Championships."

"All teams were selected by the Athletics Kenya regional chairpersons."

Olympic and world medallists who will not take part in tomorrow's national event will highlight the 2025 Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour to be held at the Lobo Village on February 23.

Athletes will be eyeing an enhanced prize money, which will see winners of the senior cross country races take home Sh200,000.

Sources at AK said a number of athletes, who qualified by finishing in the top six at the regional cross country championships, especially in the Under-20 categories might be locked out of the national competition over lingering questions on age cheating, a menace that alongside doping, has injured the reputation of Kenyan athletics.