Happening Now: NTV KENYA LIVE | Senate Proceedings
Emmanuel Kiprono (717) leads the pack during the Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships junior men 8km race at Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County on October 25, 2025.
The national junior champion Emmanuel Kiprono will be Kenya’s point man in the team’s two titles defence at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, USA on Saturday.
Kenya won the junior team title, along with the individual gold, at the 2024 Belgrade Cross Country Championships. Japan-based Samuel Kibathi won gold while Mathew Kipkoech got bronze.
Kiprono will look to at least match the performance of the 2024 Kenyan team.
Kenya will be represented by 35 athletes who will compete in the men’s and women’s 10km, the under-20 8km men’s, the under-20 6km women, and the mixed relay. Kenya won gold in the team categories, save for junior women, where silver was delivered.
Talented Kipkorir, a Form Three student at St Francis Kimuron High School in Elgeyo Marakwet will team up with top-rated runners, the 5,000m World Under-20 champion Andrew Alamisi, Frankline Kibet Chebet, Edwin Sanutia Elkana, the 2024 Great Chepsaita Cross Country junior champion Kevin Biwott, Brian Kandie, and the 2025 Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run junior champion Kelvin Kariankei.
In interview with Nation Sport on Monday before flying out to the US, Kipkorir was confident of bringing back the individual men’s junior gold with the form he exhibited when winning the national championships-cum-world trials in Eldoret in October.
“I understand how competitive the race will be in America, but I will do my best to make sure we retain the title won by Kibathi in 2024,” said Kipkorir.
He added that they have discussed as a team on how to race as a team with the ultimate goal of winning both junior golds.
“We are going there with one goal, to defend our title in the junior category,” he declared with belligerence.
Kipkorir has always been inspired by the Wall of Fame a St Francis Kimuron High School that features names of 800m world record holder David Rudisha, former 800m World and Olympics champion Emmanuel Korir, among others.
Eyes will also be on Alamisi, who won 1,500m and 5,000m silver medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Port of Spain in 2023. Alamisi trains with Team Kenya captain Daniel Simiu in Iten under coach Eric Kogo.
The first batch of athletes jetted out of the country on Monday evening with the last group expected to leave on Tuesday.
