In Doha, Qatar

Team Kenya is expected to arrive in Bathurst, Australia Tuesday night after embarking on the second leg of the long and tedious journey which started Monday  at 1:30am in Nairobi.

The team had a 12-hour layover in Doha, Qatar.

Two members of staff of Qatar Airways received the team, and, thereafter, the Kenyan delegation was booked at Oryx Garden Hotel at Hamad International Airport.

This place feels like home away from home because hundreds of Kenyans work at Hamad International Airport.

“We are proud to see you brothers and sisters. I wish you success, return with medals hanging on your necks. We hardly have anything good to cheer about,” said Ahmed, who wished not to give his second name at the customs area.

National athletics team head coach Julius Kirwa said: “This is a good reception. We will have enough time to sleep and relax before the 14-hour flight to Sydney. We will be okay tomorrow, and we will have time to acclamatise.”

Team coordinator John Kimetto said that the hard part of taking athletes to Bathurst is over, and in the coming days they will focus on rectifying the mistakes made during the last edition of the competition — the 2019 Arhus World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Denmark.

Defending champion Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, compatriot Jacob Kiplimo and two-time World Athletics Cross Country Championships gold medallist Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya are among the 480 athletes who will take part in this year’s championship.

Commonwealth 5,000m gold medallist Beatrice Chebet will lead Kenya’s charge in the senior women’s race. She will face off with Ethiopia’s world 10,000 metres champion, Letesenbet Gidey, also a two-time winner of the U-20 title. Gidey will be competing in the seniors’ race for the first time.

Eritrean Rahel Daniel sums up the elite competitors in the race.
Reynold Cheruiyot of Kenya will feature in the U-20 race.

World U-20 5,000m champion Medina Eisa will spearhead Ethiopia’s mixed relay title defence helped by world and Olympic steeplechase finalist Getnet Wale.

Steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and World U-20 3,000m champion Faith Cherotich form part of Kenya’s mixed relay team, while host nation Australia also has a formidable quartet, which includes Ollie Hoare, Stewart McSweyn and Jess Hull.

The final start lists will be available on Friday.

At the same time, the British team will field athletes of respectable credentials at the European championship level as the country also makes a debut in the mixed relay.

European U-23 cross country silver medallist Megan Keith and European indoor 3,000m finalist Amelia Quirk will compete in the senior women’s team. Zakariya Mahamed, another European U-23 cross country silver medallist, is the sole British entrant for the senior men’s race.

The squad includes Olympic 800m finalist Alex Bell, who anchored Britain to gold at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships.

The team also includes European U-23 bronze medallist Alexandra Millard.

The British team comprises; (women): Abbie Donnelly, Megan Keith, Amelia Quirk, Poppy Tank. Men: Zakariya Mahamed. (mixed relay): Alex Bell, Callum Elson, Alexandra Millard, Joe Wigfield.( U-20 women): Rebecca Flaherty, Zoe Gilbody, Megan Harris, Hannah Ryding. (U-20 men): Edward Bird, Luke Birdseye, Jacob Deacon, Sam Mills.

The Bathurst 2023 Local Organising Committee Monday unveiled the official medals of the three-day competition.

The function was presided over by General Manager Richard Welsh at the start and finish line of the course at Mount Panorama.

Designed by Australian Katy Pastoors, the medals incorporate a unique design inspired by the rugged Bathurst terrain as well as the traditional landowners of the Bathurst region — the Wiradjuri people.

Also emblazoned on the medal is the 2023 Bathurst World Athletics Cross Country Championships logo incorporating an indigenous design.

Welsh said that racing for world medals is an honour for all athletes competing at the World Athletics Series event, but it will be warming to bestow an athlete with an award that will further connect each athlete to the land on which they are won.

“Athletes from all over the world dream of representing their country at a World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Only a select few have everything go to plan for them on race day and earn the right to step onto the podium. Every kilometre they have run in training for the past few months, every hour of travel to get to Bathurst, all the conversations with loved ones have them thinking of winning a medal,” Welsh said.

“We know how much it means to the athletes and what it represents to them. So we’re excited to play our part in giving them a medal that tells the story of the land they ran on in Wiradjuri country on Saturday, 18th February 2023.”

Pastoors said that she was honoured to design the artwork on the medals.

“I believe it is important to respect the indigenous artwork and culture in my design, and also tell a story about the region the championships are taking place in.”

A welcome ceremony will take place on Saturday prior to the first of the mixed relay world title race.

The ceremony will also acknowledge the Wiradjuri people.