Eldoret dreams of national glory

World 5,000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono (right) and World Cross Country champion Agnes Jebet (second right) lead the pack during the 1,500m heats in the final Athletics Kenya Weekend Meeting at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on May 22, 2015. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |

What you need to know:

  • After a successful AK Weekend meet, Kip Keino track now wants the Nationals.
  • The track is very good, it can host any international meeting, says Okeyo.

After last weekend’s successful fifth Athletics Kenya weekend meeting at the refurbished Kipchoge Keino Stadium, Eldoret is now pushing to host the National Athletics Championships in July.

An outstanding turnout of both spectators and athletes at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium on Friday and Saturday convinced many that time was ripe for Eldoret’s flagship stadium to host the nationals, especially now that it has a freshly-laid tartan track.

But Athletics Kenya vice president David Okeyo said a few conditions have to be met before the stadium, named after Kenya’s middle distance running legend, is given a clean bill of health to host the nationals from July 9 to 11.

Okeyo, also AK’s national director of competitions, said they will meet next week to dissect Eldoret’s request.

“The track is very good, is of international standards and can host any international meeting, and the crowd is acceptable,” Okeyo said on Monday. “But a few things are required to make it more attractive and internationally accepted. For instance, Eldoret needs a good accommodation capacity, the stadium’s toilet facilities must be improved along with the stands for the spectators.”

“Also, a big screen needs to be installed and, most importantly, a warm-up track — even with just four lanes — put up very, very urgently so that athletes do not have to use the competition track for warm-ups.”

Central Rift Athletics Kenya chairman Abraham Mutai said his executive will meet on Friday to lay the groundwork for a presentation to AK’s national office justifying their ability to host the nationals in Eldoret.

Mutai also called for a bidding system to be introduced so that not necessarily all major track and field meetings, including the national championships and trials, are held in Nairobi.

“From our assessment, it’s time the nationals were held in Eldoret,” Mutai said in Eldoret on Monday.

“Everybody is convinced Eldoret is the home of athletics and the county governments in this region are very supportive.

“Having the nationals in Eldoret will be convenient for the athletes, most of whom train here, and will give the sponsors a good value for their money.”

TRACK PRAISED

Meanwhile, most of the elite athletes who competed in the Eldoret weekend meeting praised the Kipchoge Keino Stadium track’s quality.

“It’s soft and the sort of Mondo surface we are used to competing on abroad,” World 5,000 metres silver medallist Mercy Cherono, who finished second in the 1,500m on Saturday, said.

“It’s soft and fast and also good for the sprints despite the fact that the stadium is at very high altitude,” Mark Mutai, the 2010 Commonwealth 400 metres champion added.

Sprinter Philip Ngwono described the track as “fast and better than Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani” but added that the Eldoret air is very thin making conditions difficult for sprinters.

ELECTRONIC TIMING EQUIPMENT

Kenya’s Olympic legend Kipchoge Keino, who was rewarded by having 80 acres set aside for the stadium after his double world records in the 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres in 1965, said he had requested for equipment for the stadium from the International Olympic Committee.

“I have written to the IOC asking for electronic timing equipment, pole vault and high jump landing mats, the stadium electronic giant screen and also implements for javelin, shot putt along with a hammer cage,” Keino, also the National Olympic Committee of Kenya chairman, said on the sidelines of the weekend meeting.

The new Mondo surface’s potential for impressive times shown on Day One of the weekend meeting last Friday when two-time World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop bolted to a stadium record 3:36.09 in the 1,500m heats, eclipsing the previous fastest 3:37.42 by Nixon Chepseba in 2010.