After a tough track season drew to a close with last month’s Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour meeting in Nairobi, the local cross country calendar kicks off this Saturday in Machakos.
Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei has subsequently urged athletes who have been out in the cold for a long time due to the coronavirus pandemic to take advantage and prepare for the various races lined up.
World Athletics has introduced the World Cross Country Tour drawn in gold, silver and bronze categories and which will come with an attractive purse.
World Athletics picked Eldoret as one of the venues for the inaugural Tour that has 17 legs.
Tuwei has confirmed that the Eldoret Tour, which will be the seventh leg on the calendar, will be staged on February 12. Out of the $400,000 (Sh43m) prize money for the best performers, $75,000 (Sh8m) will be set aside for the best male and female runners in the cross country tour.
On Saturday, the first local cross country championships shall be held in Machakos where athletes are expected to compete in the five-kilometre (Under-18 youth girls’ category), 6km (Under-18 youth boys), 6km (junior women’s race), 8km (junior men’s race) along with the 10km senior women’s and senior men’s races together with the mixed relays.
This will pave way for the second weekend meet in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on October 23 before the races head to Olkalau in Nyandarua County on November 6 for the third leg. The fourth series shall be held in Kapsokwony in Mt Elgon, Bungoma County on November 20 with the last series being held in Sotik, Bomet County, on December 4.
This will pave way for the County Cross Country Championships which should take place by December 18 before the disciplined forces championships are held.
The National Police Cross Country Championships shall be held on January 7, 2022, at Ngong Racecourse, the same day as the Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country Championships will being held at Nairobi’s Moi Air Base.
On January 8, Kenya Prisons will hold their championships at the Prisons Training College in Ruiru while on the same day, the University Cross Country Championships shall be held at Kabarak University in Nakuru.
At the same time, Regional Cross Country Championships shall be held to pave way for the National Cross Country Championships on January 22 at Kapsaeret in Uasin Gishu County.
This will be part of the preparations for the World Cross Country Tour which is the first series to be held in Kenya with the event expected to be held at Kapseret in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
“This season is action packed and athletes should continue training hard because cross country championships have started and we need even the elite track athletes to compete on this events because it is a good build up for their events next year. Most of the athletes have been in the cold and we know it will be competitive,” said Tuwei.
The World Cross Country Championships which was scheduled for February 19, 2022 in Bathurst in Australia was pushed to February 18, 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
National cross country calendar
October 16: 1st AK Cross Country Championships – Machakos County;
October 23: 2nd AK Cross Country Championships – Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County;
November 6: 3rd AK Cross Country Championships – Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County;
November 20: 4th AK Cross Country Championships – Kapsokwony, Mt Elgon, Bungoma County;
December 4: 5th AK Cross Country Championships – Sotik, Bomet County;
December 18: County Cross Country Championships – All counties;
January 7: National Police Cross Country Championships, Ngong Racecourse;
January 7: Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country Championships – Moi Air Base, Nairobi;
January 8: Kenya Prisons Service Cross Country Championships – Kenya Prisons Training College, Ruiru;
January 8, 2022: University Cross Country Championships – Kabarak University, Nakuru Country;
By January 8, 2022: Regional Cross Country Championships – All regions;
January 22, 2022: AK National Cross Country Championships, Kapseret, Eldoret;
February 12, 2022: World Cross Country Tour – Kapseret, Eldoret.