Strength, stamina and resistance training are among areas Team Kenya are working on in preparation for the 2023 World Cross Country Championships set for Bathurst, Australia in a fortnight.
The team has been training at the Kigari Teachers training College in Embu County for the past one month and head coach Julius Kirwa said the three facets will be key if Kenya wants to succeed Down Under.
“We have had very intense training for the past thirty days, looking at all aspects of our training and ensuring that the athletes are in the best possible shape for the world event," said Kirwa.
To that effect Kirwa said the athletes in camp will not take part in Saturday's Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour at the Lobo Village in Eldoret.
“I want the athletes to continue with their training without interruptions. The event in Eldoret is good for the athletes but we must maintain our focus," noted Kirwa.
He added that an advance party has already arrived in Australia to assess the course and weather conditions and avoid a repeat of the fiasco that befell the team during the previous edition in Aarhus Denmark.
"We are getting daily updates on the weather conditions and the course to ensure we are not caught by surprise. We want to pay attention to details, which is very important," he added.
Kirwa said he expects a stern test from perennial rivals Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea in the one-day championships, insisting that Team Kenya cannot rest on their laurels now that there are other emerging nations in athletics.
"The sport has gone global and every nation is doing their best to win. As a coach, I always tell my athletes that competition is good and we are facing the best,” said Kirwa.
The team is a blend of youth and experience with former world cross country champions Geoffrey Kamworor and Irene Cheptai among the familiar faces.
Sebastian Kimaru and Grace Loibach are the stand out newbies who stunned rich fields on their way to victories during the national trials at Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru last month.
World 5,000m silver medallist Beatrice Chebet and Africa 1,500m champion Abel Kipsang were the only athletes to be given wild cards.
