All set for South Rift X-country championships

What you need to know:

  • The national event, which will be used to select the national team for the World Cross-country championship set for China in March, will be held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on February 14.
  • The warning comes in the wake of suspension of eight Kenyan athletes by International Association of Athletics Federation for doping.
  • Branch chairman John Wachira has said his team has put measures in place to catch such athletes and cautioned runners against using banned substances.

Athletics Kenya (AK) South Rift Branch has put cautioned athletes against using banned substances ahead of the branch’s cross-country championships set for tomorrow at Kericho Teachers Training College.

Branch chairman John Wachira has said his team has put measures in place to catch such athletes and cautioned runners against using banned substances.

“As a branch, we don’t want embarrassment at national and international level and that is why we are warning our athletes to keep off banned substances,” said Wachira.

The warning comes in the wake of suspension of eight Kenyan athletes by International Association of Athletics Federation for doping.

At least two dozen long distance runners from Kenya have found themselves on the wrong side of the law and are serving sentences ranging from six-month suspension to four years for testing positive for banned substances.

South Rift is home to Kenya’s world champions. Some of them like Japheth Korir (12km), Emily Chebet and Faith Chepngetich (both in 8km race) will set Kericho Teachers Training College ablaze tomorrow as they battle it out for supremacy.

BUDDING ATHLETES

And like in the past when the championship gives birth to new champions, the three runners will battle it out with budding athletes from six counties (Laikipia, Nakuru, Kajiado, Bomet, Narok and hosts Kericho) for a slot to represent the region in the national Cross-country championships.

The national event, which will be used to select the national team for the World Cross-country championship set for China in March, will be held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on February 14.

Wachira said that after the one-day event,  a strong squad of 24 runners will be picked and will enter residential training ahead of the national championships.

“This year we want to take the South Rift Valley flag in the national competition a notch higher and we have made adequate preparations for a revamped residential camp to enable the branch stamp its authority in the national event,” said Wachira.

Speaking in Nakuru on Thursday, Wachira said arrangements for tomorrow’s event are complete. The route has been marked and inspected to conform to the international standards.