AK Regional X-Country Championships set for this weekend
Kibiwott Kandie crosses the finish line in third place in the senior men’s 10 kilometres race during the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College on December 10, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Athletes competing at the nationals will be eyeing a slot at the Sirikwa World Cross Country Gold Tour event which will mark its second edition this year at Lobo Village
- AK Vice President in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii told Nation Sport that all the regions will select teams that will compete at the nationals where Team Kenya for the World Cross Country Championships will also feature
Athletics Kenya Regional Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday ahead of the National Cross Country Championships slated for January 21 at Kenya Prisons Training College in Kiambu County.
AK North Rift region will hold their finals at Maralal in Samburu County where a strong team to represent the region at the Nationals will be selected.
According to the branch's Public Relations Officer Boniface Tiren, they have been holding the event on rotational basis thus Samburu County will host this year's event.
“We have five counties in our branch that's why we have been hosting the event on a rotational basis. Remember in 2019 we hosted the competition in Lodwar, Turkana County, something that had never happened before and it was successful.
"Preparations are complete and teams will be travelling on Thursday and Friday for them to acclimatise before they compete on Saturday,” said Tiren.
The North Rift event will bring together Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot and Samburu counties.
Central Rift which comprises Nandi, Baringo and Uasin Gishu counties will also host their finals on Saturday at the Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Dorcas Jepchirchir headlines the women’s 10km senior race that also has Valentine Jebet, Doris Jepkoech, Sheila Chebet and Mercy Jeptoo all from Nandi County.
In the men’s 10km senior race, Maxion Kipng’etich will battle it out with Titus Kipruto, Jackson Kipleting, Sosten Kipchirchir, Fredrick Kibii among others.
Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country Championships will be held at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on Friday while National Police Service Cross Country Championships will take place at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on the same day.
University Cross Country Championships will be held at Kabarak University in Nakuru County, National Youth Service Cross Country Championships at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi and Kenya Wildlife Service Cross Country Championships at Lobo Village in Eldoret on Saturday.
Athletes competing at the nationals will be eyeing a slot at the Sirikwa World Cross Country Gold Tour event which will mark its second edition this year at Lobo Village.
AK Vice President in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii told Nation Sport that all the regions will select teams that will compete at the nationals where Team Kenya for the World Cross Country Championships will also feature.
“We selected a strong team for the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia and they are expected to compete at the nationals just to gauge their performance ahead of their residential training at Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu County,” said Mutwii.
