Returning Waithaka eyes glory at Sirikwa Classic
Silver medallist Kenya's Stanley Waithaka Mburu poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men's 10,000m during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 17, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Waithaka said Sirikwa Classic is part of his build-up ahead of the busy season, though his main focus is a maiden appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
- Waithaka said he won’t take a shot at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships programmed for March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia, but focus on attaining the Olympic qualifying standards in 10,000m.
The 2022 world 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka is ready to take on some of the finest distance runners at this year’s Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour on Saturday at Lobo Village, Eldoret.
Foreign athletes start arriving in the country on Wednesday ahead of the championships that will be used to pick Team Kenya for the Africa Athletics Cross Country Championships due on February 25 in Tunisia.
The 23-year-old Waithaka said he has fully recovered from the nagging groin injury that saw him miss the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and World Athletics Road Running Championships in Latvia last year.
It’s the same injury that saw Waithaka fail to finish his race last year, having settled fourth during the inaugural edition in 2022 that was then known as the Agnes Tirop Cross Country Classic.
“I resumed training last month without any discomfort and the body feels good now,” said Waithaka, who has been training in Nyahururu, adding that the injury has taught him the importance of patience and discipline.
“That period when not competing can really take a toll on someone especially when you see your colleagues competing,” said Waithaka, the 2018 world under-20 5,000m silver medallist.
“I had to concentrate on recovery to come out strong and better.”
Waithaka said Sirikwa Classic is part of his build-up ahead of the busy season, though his main focus is a maiden appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
Waithaka said he won’t take a shot at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships programmed for March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia, but focus on attaining the Olympic qualifying standards in 10,000m.
However, Waithaka, who is based in Japan, said he has yet to decide where he would like to hit the Olympic qualifying time of 27 minutes either on track or road. “I have just resumed training and the Sirikwa Classic will give me a hint on what's next,” said Waithaka.
Sirikwa Classic race director Barnaba Korir said that over 25 foreign athletes are expected for the men’s 10km race including 2019 world half marathon bronze medallist Aron Kifle from Eritrea.
The 25-year-old, who is the 2019 African Games 10,000m silver medallist, finished fifth during the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, and fourth in the 2019 edition in Århus, Denmark
Kifle has also had a good outing in under-20, claiming silver in 10,000m at the 2016 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland and settling fifth in 5,000m.
Besides Eritrea, distance running powerhouse Ethiopia leads the vanguard with entries mostly from last year’s World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
Others are drawn from Germany, Great Britain, South Africa, Ukraine, Tanzania, Norway, Tanzania, Uganda, Morocco, Romania and Bahrain.
Besides Waithaka and the 2022 world 5,000m silver medallist Jacob Krpop, who is making a return, Kifle will battle a horde of Kenya’s elite athletes.
They include world 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwott, world cross country under-20 champion Ishmael Kipkurui, the 2022 world 5,000m, and world half marathon champion Sabastian Sawe.
World Half marathon bronze medallist Catherine Reline Amanang’ole from Kenya, is also in the mix as she eyes a better performance after finishing sixth in 2022.
Others are the 2022 national cross country champion Grace Loibach and Emmaculate Anyango, the second fastest woman in 10km in the world.
Lemlem Nibret and Meseret Yeshaneh, who guided Ethiopia to the women’s under-20 team title at the World Cross Country Championships, highlight the entries in the women’s 10km race.
