Athletes who participated in last year’s 32nd Discovery Kenya Cross Country cross country. [Eldoret is gearing up for the 34th Discovery Kenya Cross Country cross country race to be held this Sunday. Organizers of the race had been preparing meticulously on Thursday to give athletics enthusiasts a chance to experience the thrill of cross country running at the Eldoret Sports Club.
They were optimistic that the race would live up to its name – a race where the best athletes in athletics are identified and developed. At least 1,000 elite athletes registered yesterday and the organizing team expects to surpass last year’s numbers.
Expectations are high as elite athletes prepare to assess their form as they approach the culmination of the cross-country season. Elite athletes are very fast, with big names looking to compete for honors this Sunday.
Experienced athletes such as reigning champion Catherine Leren and world road half marathon champion are expected to compete. World 10,000 meters silver medalist Daniel Simiou Ebegno will also compete, but as of yesterday, he had not yet confirmed his participation.
He just won the National Police Service Cross Country Championships in Nairobi last Friday and also won the 2022 Discovery Kenya race. Nike Discovery Kenya Cross Country technical director David Letting said the competition will be tougher this year because of the growing number of elite athletes.
Lelin intends to defend her title on Sunday. Lelin intends to defend her title on Sunday.
The level of competition will be high and the track is 90 percent ready,” said Letting, who is also the track coach at the Eldoret Athletic Club. Last year, Lerin and Cornelius Kemboi were brilliant winners in the women’s and men’s senior categories respectively.
The 33rd edition of the event will attract no less than 2,600 participants and organizers are expecting a record number of spectators on Sunday. After the National Cross Country Championships, the athletics stars will set their eyes on the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, a gold level competition which will also be held at Lobo Village, Eldoret.
Retting said: “The 2025 Games will be a good preparation for the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country at the end of February, but most importantly it will be a test for the national cross which will be held at the same venue.” As organizers, we would like to thank our founder Gabriele Rosa. The consistency of this race over the past 34 years has been second to none.
Many races were interrupted by the Covida pandemic, but we were fortunate that the Discovery Kenya Cross Country took place before the blockade. As the finishing touches were being put on the flat track at Eldoret Sports Club, international track and field heavyweights who started their careers at the venue were boosting hopes that the weekend would bring more champions: Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, three-time Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, two-time Olympic champion Beatrice Chebeto and late 1990s record holder, former Boston Marathon champion and former Eggwena MP Elijah Lagat were among those The 2025 Games will feature 10km and 8km races for senior men and women respectively.
Juniors and junior women will vie for the prestigious titles at 8km and 6km respectively, while children looking to follow in the footsteps of Kenyan legends will compete in races ranging from 500m to 2km depending on age category.
