Loibach leads strong Kenyan cast at Africa cross country championships

Kenya is among 12 countries that will battle at the sixth edition of the African Athletics Cross Country Championships at the Citrus Golf Club Hammamet, Tunisia on Sunday.

This event brings together the best athletes of the continent, especially Kenya, who have entered 30 participants in pursuit of preserving their continental dominance.

Besides Kenya and the hosts, good competition is expected from Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Angola, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Liberia, Congo, Cape Verde and Uganda.

The last edition of the Africa Cross Country Championships was held in 2018 in Chlef, Algeria after the 2020 edition in Lomé, Togo was postponed to 2021 and later cancelled to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alfred Barkach and Celliphine Chespol handed Kenya both senior men and women’s titles with Rhonex Kipruto going for the men's under-20 crown.

Hellen Ekalale settled for bronze in women’s under-20 that was dominated by Ethiopians Girmawit Gebrzihair and Tsigie Gebreselama respectively.

Women’s under-20 6km will get underway at 12.20pm followed by men’s under-20 8km at 12.50pm. Senior women’s 10km will go down at 1.30pm followed by senior men’s 10km at 2.20 pm.

The mixed relay race will be staged at 3.pm with the Masters Men 4km and women 2km respectively wrapping up the championship at 3.30pm.

Grace Loibach, who finished fourth at the world cross country last year and steeplechaser Virginia Nyambura lead Kenya’s assault in women’s 10km.

Also in the women’s battle are Kenya Defence Forces champion Cintia Chepng’eno and Gladys Kwamboka, who finished second at the Kenya Police Cross Country Championships.

Loibach, 20, will be eager to emulate what her elder sister Alice Aprot did in 2016 when she won the senior women’s title during the 2016 Africa championships held in Yaounde, Cameroon.

It will be the third time Loibach is representing Kenya after she finished fourth at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Australia and ninth at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary all last year.

Nyambura is perhaps the most experienced on the international level, having won silver in Distance Medley at the 2015 World Relay Championships, the year she won the Diamond League Trophy in 3,000m steeplechase.

Nyambura, who has been battling to make an impact since return from maternity leave in 2022, having missed the 2016 Rio Olympics with an injury, won the World Youth 2,000m steeplechase title besides finishing seventh in steeplechase at the 2015 World Championships.

Also in the women’s team are Sandrafelis Chebet, who is yet to make a major breakthrough at senior level after a flourishing at junior level where she won silver in 2,000m steeplechase at the 2015 World Under-18 and silver medals in 3,000m and 5,000m at the 2017 Africa Under-20 championships.

The 2022 Africa 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Caren Chebet is also in the women’s contest. 

African Games 5,000m champion Robert Kiprop Koech will lead Kenya’s assault in senior men’s 10km that also has Samuel Naibei Kiplimo and Vincent Lagat.

The reigning world mixed relay champion Mirian Cherop, Wilfred Mbithe, who won gold in mixed relay at the 2017 World Cross Country and bronze over the event at the 2019 World Cross Country, will field in the mixed relay event.

Others in the team are Evaline Chepkoech, Edwin Kiprono, Victor Mutai and Newton Cheruiyot. 

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