AK raises alarm over 2026 World Cross Country date

Athletics Kenya (AK) has expressed concerns over the tight timeline for the 2026 World Cross Country Championships, warning that long-distance athletes will have minimal recovery time before the global event.

Following the World Athletics Council meeting in Nanjing, China, on Tuesday, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe announced that the biennial event will be held on January 10, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

This means national federations must select their teams by December 2025, significantly reducing the rest period for athletes coming off a packed 2025 track and field season that concludes with the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13-21).

Athletics Kenya Nairobi Branch chairman Barnaba Korir acknowledged the scheduling challenge, emphasizing the need for a structured approach to prepare the team.

“The calendar is fully packed, and from what the World Athletics President announced yesterday, it means that athletes have no time to rest. We shall continue supporting our athletes, and the main thing now is to make sure they get chances to compete internationally so that they can get qualification," said Korir on Wednesday.

He added that Athletics Kenya will focus on a long-term strategy to ensure a competitive team is in camp by December.

“We have to work on a long-term plan and that is also making sure we have a strong team that will be at the camp by December ahead of the World Cross Country Championships,” said Korir.

Many elite runners use the cross country season for endurance training and preparation for major championships. However, with the 2025 track and field season already underway, athletes are facing a tight competition and recovery schedule.

The track and field season began this March, featuring local and international competitions, including Diamond League events and World Athletics Continental Tours—all serving as qualification pathways for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Kenya has traditionally excelled at the World Cross Country Championships. At the 2024 edition in Belgrade, Serbia, Kenya dominated the medal table with 11 medals (6 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze), ahead of Ethiopia, which secured 10 medals.

In another major announcement, Botswana has been selected to host the 2026 World Athletics Relay Championships, marking the first time the event will take place in Africa.

The World Athletics Relays, which were launched in 2014 in The Bahamas, will now be hosted by an African nation for the first time.

Coe praised Botswana’s growing reputation as a global athletics hub.

“I am delighted that Botswana’s commitment to athletics, both through their elite athletes and their event hosting capabilities, has led them to hosting the World Athletics Relays next year.”

The World Athletics Council also announced plans to create a dedicated coaching body to promote coach representation, coaching-specific projects, and align coaching priorities with key athletics decisions.

Additionally, the Council approved the running order for the 4x100m mixed relay at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou:

This format will be reviewed after the event, and official world records for the 4x100m mixed relay will be recognized from January 1, 2026.

The event will also feature at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in 2026.

With the World Cross Country Championships set for early January, athletes and federations will need to carefully balance training, recovery, and competition schedules to ensure peak performance in the global events ahead.