Athletes battle it out during the third edition of Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour, senior women 10km race held at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County on February 03, 2024.
Organisers have done away with a curve on the course that will be used for 2025 Sirikwa Classic, the Kenyan round of the 2025 World Athletics Cross Country, Tour has and introduced more obstacles, which promises to test athletes’ abilities when the race is held in Lobo Village in Eldoret on February 22.
Athletes tackled a 100-meter long C-shaped curve on the course used for last year’s race, but organisers of this year’s race have done away with that unique feature.
This year, in addition to tackling man-made hills and hay obstacles, athletes will also face obstacles in the form of motor vehicle tyres. There will be no mud obstacles which tested athletes’ abilities in the first edition of the race in 2022, nor water jumps which were part of the course used in 2023.
It is the sort of course that had Africa Cross Country Championships winner, Cynthia Chepng’eno, scratching her head, as she seeks to win a maiden title in the race.
Last year, Emmaculate Anyango clocked 32 minutes and 55 seconds to win the race ahead of marathon runner Joyciline Jepkosgei who timed 33:10 for second place, and Catherine Reline who finished third in 33:18.
Chepng’eno finished fourth.
“Athletes typically use Sirikwa Classic race to train on endurance. Despite finishing fourth last year, it gave me much-needed endurance, which worked in my favour during the National Cross Country Championships. I ended up making the Kenyan team that competed at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and I hope to do better this year,” said Chepng’eno.
She has termed the obstacles “the ultimate test of fitness.”
“The new course presents a challenge though, and it shall be interesting to see who comes up with a strategy for running through the obstacles in the shortest time possible. The obstacles are an interesting part of the race, and will test the fitness of the athletes to the fullest.
Preparations for the World Athletics Cross Country Gold Tour race, now in its fifth edition, is on.
The race is the penultimate competition in World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold series, and is expected to attract elite runners from Kenya and the globe. It is only one of two gold label events in Kenya, the other being the Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run which took place on December 7 last year.
Sirikwa Classic takes place in Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
With one month to go, organisers have stepped up preparation for the race as they target is to improve the standards.
“We are being gauged every year on the standard to which we host this international event. This year, have started preparing early for the event because our desire is to improve the standard of hosting the race each year. Local athletes are keen to use the race to prepare for the season and since it’s the last cross country event before start of the track and field season, we expect a high turnout,” Race Director Barnaba Korir said.
Director of competitions at Athletics Kenya, Kennedy Tanui, said changes made to the course promise to make for an interesting race.
“In the first edition, the course had a pool of mud and, which attracted a lot of complaints. The following year, we introduced a steeplechase trench. This year, we are leaving those two, but we shall introduce old tires to make the race exciting and tough at the same time,” Tanui told Nation Sport yesterday.
