Eldoret is getting ready for the 34th edition of Discovery Kenya Cross Country this Sunday, an event happening barely two weeks before the city hosts a national X-C contest on February 8.
On Thursday, organisers of the race were meticulously pulling all stops as they got ready to serve athletics enthusiasts a cross country thriller at the Eldoret Sports Club.
They were optimistic that the race will continue living up to its billing as the race where top athletics talents are identified and nurtured.
At least 1,000 elite athletes had registered yesterday, with the organising team expecting a bigger number than last year’s edition.
Expectations are high as elite athletes prepare to gauge their form as the cross country season nears its climax.
The elite field is superfast, with big names yearning to contest for honours this Sunday.
Experienced athletes among them defending champion Catherine Reline, the World Road Running Half Marathon Champion, are expected.
World 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo is also expected to compete but was yet to confirm his participation by yesterday.
He was fresh from winning the National Police Service Cross Country Championships in Nairobi last Friday and was the 2022 Discovery Kenya victor.
Nike Discovery Kenya Cross Country technical director David Leting said the competition will be stiffer at this year’s edition, attributing that to the increasing number of elite athletes.
“Reline is determined to defend her title on Sunday. The level of competition will be higher and our preparations on the course are about 90 percent,” Leting, who is also athletics coach, said at the Eldoret Sports Club venue.
Last year, Reline and Cornelius Kemboi cruised to glorious victories in the women’s and men’s senior categories respectively.
At least 2,600 participants competed in the 33rd edition, and organizers are expecting a record higher number on Sunday.
After the national cross country championships, athletics stars will be setting their sights on the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, a gold level event that will be staged at the Lobo Village, also in Eldoret.
“The 2025 edition will be a good preparation for this year’s Sirikwa Classic Cross Country later in February but most importantly a test for the National Cross Country which will take place at the same venue,” Leting said.
He added: “As organisers, we thank the founder, Gabriele Rosa, for establishing a race that has withstood the test of time. For the last 34 years, the consistency of this race has remained unmatched. Many races were interrupted by Covid pandemic but were lucky because Discovery Kenya Cross Country was staged before the lockdowns were imposed.”
As they did the final touches on the flat course at Eldoret Sports Club, an innumerable stellar cast of global big shots in athletics who launched their careers at the venue amplified the hopes of churning out more champs this weekend.
Two-time Olympic Champion Eliud Kipchoge, three-time Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon, double Olympic winner Beatrice Chebet, record-breaker of the late 1990s and former Boston Marathon champion and ex-Emgwen MP Elijah Lagat are just among hundreds of athletics stars who were discovered at the Discovery Kenya Cross Country race.
The 2025 edition will feature 10km and 8km senior men and women races respectively.
Junior men and women will compete for prestigious 8km and 6km titles respectively while kids looking to follow in the footsteps of Kenyan legends will line up in races from 500m to 2km based on their age categories.
