DP Rigathi's backyard to host AK Central Region Cross Country event
Mercy Chepkemoi wins the Under-20 women's 6km race during the third edition of Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour, held at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County on February 03, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Athletics Kenya Lotto South Rift Region Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday at Inoro Girls Secondary School, Nanyuki, Laikipia County.
- The region will also use the event to select their team for national cross-country championships.
Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Region Cross Country Championships will for the first time be staged at the Kagati ground on Saturday in Nyeri.
(AK) Central region chairman David Miano said the event that has traversed other counties in the region-Kerugoya, Kirinyaga (2023), Murangá (2022), and Ol Kalou, Nyandarua (2021) - finds its way to Nyeri this time.
The venue is within two kilometres radius of legendary distance runner Catherine “The Great '' Ndereba and Deputy President Rigathi Gachugua’s homesteads.
Miano said that the region will use the championships to pick its team for the National Cross Country Championships on March 2 at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College, Ruiru, Kiambu.
It’s at the nationals that AK will select its team for the 45th World Athletics Cross Country Championships scheduled for March 30, this year in Belgrade, Serbia.
The 2022 world 10,000m silver medallist, Stanley Waithaka, who is fresh from finishing ninth on return from inquiry at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Championships in Eldoret on Saturday, is among the Japan-based athletes for the Kagati event.
Upcoming Margaret Akidor, who won the Okayama Ladies Half Marathon Road Race in a personal best of 1:09:29 in December, and Rebecca Njeri, the winner of women’s 10,000m at the Third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting two weeks ago in Nairobi, will battle out in men’s 10km among others.
Besides Ndereba, the 2003 Paris and 2007 Osaka world marathon champion, the area has produced the likes of the five-time world cross country champion, John Ngugi, who is also the 1988 Olympics 5,000m champion, 1987 Rome world marathon champion Douglass Wakiihuri and 2001 world 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi.
“We expect a huge celebration that will be graced not only by athletes and the regional leadership. This has gone down in athletics and we hope this event will reignite that passion,” said Miano.
Races on the card besides the senior men and women’s 10km race are, under-20 men's 8km and women’s 6km races, Business/ farmers 2km Run, Family Run 2km, and Kids 500m Run (ages 9-8).
Athletics Kenya Lotto South Rift Region Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday at Inoro Girls Secondary School, Nanyuki, Laikipia County.
The region will also use the event to select their team for national cross-country championships.
