Cross Country wades into Maa region
Stephen Arita celebrates winning the senior men's 10km race during KCB Southern Region Cross Country on December 19, 2015 at Machakos Teachers Training College. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- The national team will be picked at the Nationals for the World Cross Country Championships due March 26 in Kampala, Uganda.
- The National trials for the World Championships will be held July 21 at Kasarani.
- The World Championships will be held from August 4-13 in London.
Trans Mara is the new inclusion in the 2016/2017 Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Series season starting November 5 this year.
The region will be hosting a cross country event for the first time on January 21, which brings to eight the number of legs in next season’s Series calendar.
The National Series in addition to institution and regional cross country races will culminate to the National Cross Country Championships on February 19 at the Ngong Racecourse.
The national team will be picked at the Nationals for the World Cross Country Championships due March 26 in Kampala, Uganda.
“We thought it was wise to take a cross country race in Trans Mara because the Maasai region has produced some of Kenya’s greats in athletics,” said AK vice president in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii.
Among the top athletes the region has produced are; Olympic and World 800m champion David Rudisha, who is also the 800m World record-holder, the 1987 and 1991 World 800m champion Billy Konchellah and Steven Ole Marai, and the 2008 National Cross Country winner Gideon Ngatunyi.
The Cross Country season will kick off with the Nairobi race on November 5 at Ngong Road Posta grounds followed by Kangaru on November 12 in Embu and Nyandarua on November 19.
Kapsokwony will host the fifth leg of the Cross Series on December 10 followed by Machakos on December 18 while the seventh leg returns to Sotik on January 7 with Trans Mara closing the Series on January 21.
Among the institutional cross events are Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country Championships on January 20 in Thika, Kenya Prisons Service Cross Country Championships (Uhuru Gardens) and Kenya National Police Cross Country Championships (Ngong Racecourse) both on January 21.
Of interest too will be the clinic for sprinters and field events planned for February 1-10 in Nairobi in readiness for World Relays due April 22 to 23 in Nassau, Bahamas and World Under-18 Championships slated for July 12-16 at Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani.
Besides the National Relay Series that has four legs, Mutwii said they intend to hold separate events for the field events and sprinters in addition to the track and field meets.
The Relays Series are due February 11 in Nairobi, February 25 in Kisumu, March 11 in Mombasa and March 18 in Nairobi before the National trials for the World Relays on April 1 at Kasarani.
Trials for World Under-18 Championships will be held from June 13-14 at Kasarani.
“We must prepare our youth well for the World Under-18 since we want to field in all the events,” said Mutwii.
The track and field season that has six legs starting April 7-8 in Bondo before ending in Eldoret on May 19–20 will pave way for institutional championships and the National Championships on July 7– 8 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The National trials for the World Championships will be held July 21 at Kasarani. The World Championships will be held from August 4-13 in London.
