Japheth Korir, Sheila Chepkirui headline Cross Country Series opener

The 2013 World Cross Country champion Japheth Korir and Africa 5,000m champion Sheila Chepkirui will highlight the start of the Athletics Kenya (AK) Cross Country Series on Saturday at Ngong Posta grounds, Nairobi.

Korir is yet to find his footing since winning the World Cross title owing to injuries. He was given a wild card to Team Kenya to defend his title in 2015 Beijing but failed to impress in training and was axed.

This being a World Cross Country season, it remains to be seen whether Korir will rise up to occasion starting in Nairobi where he has been a regular in the past years.

Korir, 23, leads a rich cast in the men’s 10km race. Philip Kiprono, who finished 12th at the 2015 World Cross, Geoffrey Koech, winner of the 2015 Hamburg 10km race, and Silas Kimutai, who won in Nairobi last in 2013 are expected on Saturday.

Athletics Kenya Nairobi Chairman Barnabas Koriri said Chepkirui will be seeking to impress after finishing second at Africa Cross in March this year in Cameroon before winning the Africa 5,000m in June in South Africa.

“We are expecting a quality field across the board with this being the World Championships year,” said Korir.

“Nairobi is particularly keen to take a lion’s share in junior races come the nationals.”

The 42nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships are set for March 26, 2017 in Kampala, Uganda.

Chepkirui, the Kenya Defence Forces personnel, will take on defending champion Caroline Chepkoech and Nancy Nzisa among others.

Star attraction in the women’s 6km junior races are defending champion Sandra Chebet and Emily Chebet.

From Nairobi, the series will head to Kangaru on November 12 in Embu and Nyandarua on November 19.

Kapsokwony will host the fifth leg of the series on December 10 followed by Machakos on December 18, while the seventh leg returns to Sotik on January 7, 2017.

Trans Mara, which is the new event and the last in the AK series that has eight legs, will be held on January 21, 2017 in Trans Mara.

“We thought it wise to take a cross country race in Trans Mara by virtue of the Maasai region having produced some of Kenya’s greats in athletics,” said Korir.

The National Cross Series will be followed by institution and regional cross country championships that will culminate to the National Cross Country Championships on February 19 at the Ngong Racecourse.

Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country Championships due January 20 in Thika and Kenya Prisons Service Cross Country Championships (Uhuru Gardens) and Kenya National Police Cross Country Championships (Ngong Racecourse) all planned for January 21.