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Track and field starts early in Athletics Kenya calendar
Cynthia Chepng’eno leads in the senior women’s 10km race during the first Athletics Kenya Cross Country Championships held at Machakos People’s Park in Machakos County on October 15, 2022. Chepng’eno won the race.
What you need to know:
- Athletics Kenya makes changes to its annual programme to fit world events
- The fifth edition of the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Gold Tour is scheduled for April 20 while the trials for the African Games are due February 16 to 17 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Athletics national trials for the Paris Olympic Games will be staged on June 14 to 15 next year at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani, in Nairobi.
The trials for the Paris Olympics Games scheduled from July 26 to August 11 next year, in the French capital, will be preceded by the National Athletics Championships on June 6-8 at MISC.
However, according to the 2023/2024 Athletics Kenya (AK) calendar of events released yesterday, the busy season that has seen drastic changes, starts on Saturday with the first leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series in Machakos.
Track and field will start in December, instead of the usual February or March. This is because of the delayed 2023 African Games that will be held in March next year.
The cross country championships that will take place at the Machakos People’s Park, will start Kenya’s journey to the 45th World Athletics Cross Country Championships scheduled for March 30, in Belgrade, Serbia.
From Machakoss, the Series that has five legs will head to Kapsokwony, Bungoma County on October 21, Sotik, Bomet on November 4, Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County on November 11 before ending in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet on November 25.
The AK National Cross Country Championships that will double up as the trials for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held on February 24 at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College, Ruiru, Kiambu County.
The third edition of the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, a World Athletics Cross Country Gold Tour event, will be staged on February 3 at the Lobo Village, Eldoret, Uasin GIshu County.
The fifth edition of the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Gold Tour is scheduled for April 20 while the trials for the African Games are due February 16 to 17 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The 13th Africa Games that were initially slated from March 8 to 23 in Accra, Ghana were rescheduled for March 8 to 23 at the same city.
The Athletics Kenya Field and Track/ Relays Series start on December 15 to 16 at Thika County Stadium proper.
The second leg of Athletics Kenya Field and Track/ Relays Series will be held on January 5 to 6 in Embu before the third leg on January 26 to 27 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The fourth leg of Athletics Kenya Field and Track/ Relays Series is due on March 22 to 23 in Kisii with the fifth and final leg set for April 26 to 17 in Mombasa.
The national trials for the World Athletics Relay Championships are programmed for April 11 to 13 at the Nyayo National Stadium. The world relays will be staged May 4 to 5, in Nassau, Bahamas.
Kenya will also send teams to the World Athletics Indoor Championships scheduled for March 1 to 3 in Glasgow, Scotland and World Athletics Under-20 Championships on August 26 to 31 next year in Lima, Peru.
