All set as cross country tour heads to Narok County

More than 500 participants are expected to turn up for the second Athletic Kenya (AK) Cross Country Series tour that will be held at the Friends Secondary School, Trans Mara West in Narok County on Saturday as the search for Team Kenya for next year’s IAAFWorld Cross Country championships gathers momentum .

AK officials from the region have said all the chosen routes have been marked ahead of the competition expected to draw immense local talent in its first ever national athletics event.

Led by AK Chair for Narok County, Billy Konchella, the officials lauded the decision to take the competition to the region that has presented the sport with global icons including double Olympic champion and world 800m record holder, David Rudisha, world silver medallist, Elijah Manangoi, Alphas Kishoiyan (400m) and Nicholas Kiplagat (800m).

“We’re grateful to our Head Office in Nairobi for considering Narok county for this event. A national athletics event has never been held in Narok. This is the first and it is the beginning of better things to come; we are nurturing talents here. Registration is only hundred shillings,” Konchella told Citizen Digital.

The will be four categories; junior men/women which will be run over 8 kilometres and the senior men/women 10-kilometer race.

Meanwhile, the region’s AK vice-chair Paul Keriako also lauded the event saying it is a great platform for young upcoming athletes to showcase their talents and urging them to seize the moment.

“We’re lucky they’ve brought it here especially because the sport is very much appreciated here. I hope the young boys and girls come in large numbers so as to make it a success,” Keriako stated.

During last weekend’s series in Nairobi, AK Chair for Nairobi, Barnabas Korir, revealed the aim is to select the best team that will represent the country in next year’s championships in Kampala, Uganda.

“We shall start camping in two weeks time and after we’re through with Trans Mara we shall next head to Nyahururu, Iten and finally Mt. Elgon. We hope to have selected the Team Kenya for the event by the time we reach the eighth cross-country series next year,” Korir offered.