Why Kenyans should be excited about world road racing event
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya reacts after breaking the World Record and winning in the Women's One Mile event during the IAAF Diamond League "Herculis" athletics meeting at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco, on July 21, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The one-day competition will feature men’s and women’s races in the half marathon, 5km, and mile distances
- As Athletics Kenya (AK), we believe this is a team that guarantees a medal haul for the country at this inaugural edition
- With the calibre of Faith, Peres, Simiu, and the two “Beatrices” in the squad, fans can look forward to historic moments at the championships where Kenya will be one of the favourites to top the medal standings
In just about two weeks, hundreds of athletes from around the globe will gather in the Latvian capital Riga for the first edition of the World Road Running Championships.
The one-day competition will feature men’s and women’s races in the half marathon, 5km, and mile distances.
Kenya will be represented by a star-studded line-up led by reigning world and Olympics 1,500 metres champion Faith Kipyegon, World Athletics Cross Country champion Beatrice Chebet, 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu, among others.
As Athletics Kenya (AK), we believe this is a team that guarantees a medal haul for the country at this inaugural edition. The athletes’ records speak for themselves; they are proven, serial winners who have shone in various international competitions this season.
With the calibre of Faith, Peres, Simiu, and the two “Beatrices” in the squad, fans can look forward to historic moments at the championships where Kenya will be one of the favourites to top the medal standings.
This competition is also an opportunity for us to right our wrongs at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where we flattered to deceive in certain races. Paying attention to the weaknesses noted in Hungary, the team to Latvia has been accorded ample preparations in training to ensure optimum returns on the day of the competition.
It also helps that some of the members of this team were in action for the final leg of the Diamond League in Eugene over the weekend and closed out on a high. Of course, Kipyegon grabbed the trophy for the women’s 1,500m after a scintillating season in which she has smashed three world records.
Also, the two ‘Beatrices’ – Chepkoech and Chebet – clocked season best (SB) and personal best (PB) times in the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m races, respectively. All these performances are a sign of the great things to come in Riga and as their countrymen and women, we pray that they maintain this peak performance up to the culmination of the competition.
One other reason why Kenyans should be excited about these championships is the provision for a mass participation race where recreational runners will compete and receive a unique medal.
If you are in a position to travel to Latvia, then there is no reason why you should not be among the thousands of runners participating in this race while enjoying the beautiful views of Riga. It is an opportunity to mingle with recreational runners from other countries while keeping fit.
Therefore, let’s all mark our calendars for October 1 when the World Road Running Championships takes place.
Korir is the chairman of Athletics Kenya’s Nairobi branch.
