By Mutwiri MutuotaSince November last year, top athletes and hopefuls have crisscrossed local and international cross country courses seeking to be in shape for Saturday’s KCB/AK National Cross Country Championships-cum-IAAF Permit Meet.
Last weekend provided the last build-up window with the remaining AK provincial meetings in Eastern, Nairobi and Coast being held.
Representatives from all 16 Athletics Kenya (AK) affiliates spent yesterday filing their teams at Riadha House headquarters in a rush to beat the 4pm deadline set by the secretariat.
"The technical committee will then sit and draw up the official start list by Wednesday (today). Preparation for the Nationals are almost complete and the small challenges that are there will be overcome," David Okeyo, AK secretary general told FeverPitch.
In pattern with recent years, disciplined forces and invited international individual runners are expected to dominate the race for 24 available slots for Bydgoszcz.
World title
Last year, Kenya Police runners, Moses Mosop and Florence Kiplagat, who went on to win the World title in Amman, won the senior races. First four finishers in the event that will be run at Uhuru Gardens will gain automatic entry with the technical committee deciding another two wildcard selections for each category.
Elsewhere, the Eastern Branch named a 24-member team for Saturday’s Nationals led by two-time provincial champion, Mwaniki Mbogo, who retained his 12km senior men title in 35:21 on Saturday. His brother Daniel Mbogo, Joseph Kariuki, Kennedy Muia, Timothy Kinoti and marathoner Cyprian Kiogora also made the team.
Esther Kananu will lead the senior 8km women’s line-up after claiming victory in 27:22. She will be joined by Frashiah Nyambura, Monica Njeru, Joyce Wachira, Esther Murugi and Jedida Wanjiru.
Meanwhile, AK chair, Isaiah Kiplagat yesterday maintained Kiptenden Runners Success Club has to remain closed before any effort to re-instate its suspended coach David Koskei can be made.
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