We shall reclaim our titles
World Cross Country Championships-bound junior women runners Nelly Chebet, Mercy Cherono, Faith Chepngetich, Esther Chemtai, Alice Aprot and Purity Cherotich jog round the field at the St Mark’s Teachers Training College, Kigari, Embu. The Kenya team is preparing for the championships set for Bydgoszcz, Poland, on March 28. Photo/ MOHAMMED AMIN
What you need to know:
- Coach Leting and captain Mateelong vow to bring back Kenya’s 12km gold
Irregular weather at St Mark’s Teachers Training College is not worrying head coach David Leting as he prepares the national team for the March 28 World Cross Country Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
For the first two weeks the team has been in camp in the institution located in Kigari, Embu, it has been training under cold and rainy conditions. The weather however changed suddenly to scorching sun and windy conditions.
The weather is not giving team captain Richard Mateelong sleepless nights either.
He said: “It is a bit tricky to run in the mud. But these conditions are almost similar to what we should be expecting in Poland and we must be ready for it.”
Under pressure
With the cross country programme set to undergo changes after next year’s event, Kenya is under pressure to reclaim the titles that have been missing in their trophy cabinet and Mateelong is seizing his chance to guide the country back to the helm.
“I see light at the end of the tunnel. It has been hard for most of us to adapt to the training, which has been hard and strenuous, but we are doing our best to get the optimum fitness to face the world. I believe with the right preparations we will be where we expect to be, at the top,” he said.
Mateelong, who has had a steady rise in his athletics career, is not worried that the individual men’s title has eluded Kenya since 1999 when Paul Tergat won the last of his historic five successive gold medals since 1995.
Title will come
“I have come up the cadres steadily, but it is not easy for one to just go to the top and win titles and then disappear. This title will come, but we must be patient and get the pressure off the athletes,” Mateelong said.
Team physiotherapist Peter Nduhio said his only concern has been fatigue, which he said can easily be dealt with through massage.
“We are lucky that, after such rigorous training, nobody has picked up an injury. It is a good sign that most of these athletes are in good shape,” Nduhio said.
