Athletics Kenya (AK) will this morning select Team Kenya to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships at the AK/Lotto trials at the Uhuru Gardens.
The world Cross Country Championships will be held in Kampala, Uganda on March 26 and AK will be seeking to select a team of 52, who will do the country duty in the eight categories including senior men (10km), senior women (10km), junior men (8km), junior women (6km) and the 8km mixed relays (two men and two women runners).
Kenya finished second (overall) at the 2015 edition in Guiyang, China, winning the senior men and women individual titles as well as the junior men’s team title to trail neighbours Ethiopia, who won the junior men and women individual titles as well as the senior men, women and junior women team crowns.
World champions Geoffrey Kamworor (men) and Agnes Tirop (women) lead the hunt for titles in their respective senior categories.
Kamworor, who also led world half marathon silver medallist, Bedan Karoki to a 1-2 in Guiyang, will be seeking to avoid revenge from Karoki, from whom he wrestled the national title in a muddy affair at the same venue last year with former world cross champion Leonard Barsoton also interested.
Jebet, who became the second youngest runner to win the world senior women’s individual title at just 19 after Zola Budd’s win in 1985, remains a favourite among equals.
Here, she will battle it out with the likes of Alice Aprot, the current African cross country title holder on grass as well as a host of other experienced runners including Defence Forces Gladys Cherono, Caroline Chepkoech, Olympic 3000m silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng and Irene Cheptai.
The junior ranks will be no different as world youth and junior medallists Sheila Chelangat, Celliphine Chepteek, Emily Chebet and Sandrafelis Chebet jostle for a ticket in the Kampala-bound flight.
South Rift quartet of Davis Kiplagat, world U-20 3,000m steeplechase champion Amos Kirui, Dominic Kiplagat and Ronald kirui will headline the junior men’s list that has an inform world U-20 5,000m champion Wesley Ledama of Nairobi as well as Rodgers Kwemoi, the U-20 world 10,000m champion. The championships, which lost its IAAF Permit meeting status earlier this year will see athletes compete in the mixed relays for the first time.
Each of the 16 teams will front four athletes each (two men and two women) to battle in an 8km course, covering 2km each.
Prisons will field the likes of newly-graduated Olympic bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera and Sylvia Chesebe (800m), 1500m specialist Timothy Cheruiyot and Hosea Cheronyei.
They will be up against a favourite Police line up that has the likes of world champion Asbel Kiprop, Commonwealth silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi, former world champion Eunice Sum and Beatrice Chepkoech.
Upon selection, the team will hibernate at the Kigari Teachers Training College for further training and bonding for two weeks before spreading the national flag for hoisting at the Kololo Grounds come d-day.