Joy Cheptoyek (398) celebrates crossing 10 000m women finals finishing line ahead of others during Athletics Kenya Nationals Championship on May 21, 2024 at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Uganda’s top long-distance runner, Joy Cheptoyek, is returning to Kenya once again, eager to floor local athletes at the Sirikwa Cross Country Classic on Saturday.
Cheptoyek, who won silver in the senior women’s 10km race at the World Cross Country Championships in Florida, USA, on January 10, is among the top talents listed for the race planned for Lobo village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu.
She will face defending champion Agnes Ngetich of Kenya, who has vowed not to relinquish her title.
Kenya’s Daniel Simiu hopes to retain the senior men’s title, which he won last year. If he succeeds, it will be his third successive title. The event will be aired live on NTV Kenya.
Ngetich beat Cheptoyek at the World Cross Country Championships in January. Other Kenyans competing are Caren Chebet and Maureen Chebor. The Ugandan star said she is relishing the prospect.
Kenya's Agnes Jebet Ngetich after winning the senior women's race in 31:28 during the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Florida, USA on January 10.
“I am well motivated and I believe I will do well. Running against top Kenyan athletes such as Agnes, who is not only the world cross country champion but also a world record holder in the women’s 10 km, is such a motivation for me,” she said yesterday in Iten, where she has been training ahead of Saturday’s showdown.
The 23-year-old Cheptopyek is undoubtedly inspired by her victory in the women’s 10,000 metres at the 2024 Athletics Kenya National Championships, held at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
She won in a time of 32:31.8. Gladys Kwamboka of National Police finished second in 32:43.04, while Faith Chepkoech was third in 33:04.00.
Cheptopyek may also be inspired by the results of the 2024 Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run, which was won by Loice Chekwemoi from Uganda. Ethiopia’s Shimeles Mekides Molla finished second. Kenya’s Celestine Biwott came third.
No foreigner has won the Sirikwa Cross Country race, a World Cross Country Gold Tour event, in the last five years since the even was launched. Cheptopyek hope to break the pattern.
“I took a break after the global event before resuming my training, and I’m happy to be competing again. I will also be using this race to assess my performance ahead of the upcoming competitions,” said the Ugandan.
She said she has gained a lot of experience running alongside and against Kenyans, who she says have always pushed her to her limits. “And the results are out there for all to see.”
Hailing from Bukwa in Uganda, Cheptoyek has personal best times of 30:03 minutes for 10km and 14:28 minutes for 5km, both of which are Ugandan national records.
The organisers of the global event also aim to have more than 3,000 children running in various races ranging from 500 metres to 2 kilometres. The age categories for both boys and girls are 5–8 years, 9–12 years, and 13–15 years.
Barnaba Korir, the event’s director, said that the children’s races will open the main events involving elite runners.
“Last year, Athletics Kenya won the Kids Relay World Challenge. That is why we continue to give them a platform to compete, as a way of nurturing talent. Children are the future, which means there will be no talent gap when the elite runners retire,” said Korir.
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