Beatrice Chebet headlines junior race at Eldoret meet
What you need to know:
- World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet from South Rift region will lead a talented start list of juniors who will be seeking a place on the plane to Denmark.
- Another young talent to watch out for is World Under-18 silver medalist in 800m Lydia Jeruto who will be running under the Central Rift banner.
- Chebet will take on her training mates Janet Jepkoech and Anna Naasisho both Form One students at Saramek High School in Kericho, Mercy Chepkorir and Zena Chemutai both class eight pupils at Kalyet Primary School in Kericho and Caren Chebet.
It will be do-or-die on Saturday when world beaters assemble in Eldoret for the National Cross Country Championships.
The championships will also double up as the national team trials that will be used to pick a team to represent Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on March 30.
A number of junior athletes are stoked up ahead of their debut in the cross country races in women’s 6km and men’s 8km races. World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet from South Rift region will lead a talented start list of juniors who will be seeking a place on the plane to Denmark.
Chebet will take on her training mates Janet Jepkoech and Anna Naasisho both Form One students at Saramek High School in Kericho, Mercy Chepkorir and Zena Chemutai both class eight pupils at Kalyet Primary School in Kericho and Caren Chebet.
Chebet, who trains at Lemotit Athletics Training Camp in Londiani, Kericho County, says that her training has been going on well and she wants to add another global title to her collections.
“We are looking forward to a good race as a team but I will be happy if I win. I would love to be in the team so that I can also go for the prize at the global event,” Chebet told Nation Sport.
She hopes that her training routine with senior athletes will give her an edge over other participants on Saturday.
She started her journey to the national championships with a win in Isaiah Kiplagat Ndalat Gaa Memorial Cross Country in October before winning the Tuskys Wareng Cross Country Championships a month later. She then won Discovery Cross Country Championships in January and is now focused on winning the nationals.
Another young talent to watch out for is World Under-18 800m silver medallist Lydia Jeruto who will be running under the Central Rift banner.
Jeruto trains in Torongo, Baringo County with her brother World Cross Country bronze medallist in the junior category Richard Kimunyan. She believes that she has what it takes to grab a ticket to Denmark on Saturday.
“I don’t have good experience in cross country series but I have been able to train well and even participated in various races and I believe this is going to help me on Saturday during the race,” said Jeruto.
Jeruto finished second during the Discovery Cross Country Championships last month in Eldoret.
Other notable names that are expected to feature in the junior race include World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist Edna Jebitok (South Rift), Miriam Chebet (Western), Agnes Mwikali (Southern), Felishana Kanda (North Rift), Agnes Chebet (North Rift), Esther Muthoni (Central) among others.
The event will be used to select Team Kenya which will head to a residential camp in Kigari Teachers College in Embu for more training ahead of the World Cross Country Championships.
The nationals will start at 2pm EAT and will be graced by Deputy President William Ruto among other dignitaries.
