Mt Elgon, Nyahururu to host AK meetings; Third and fourth legs of athletics series head western

Athletics action moves to Mt Elgon and Nyahururu this week with hundreds of participants converging in the two sporting regions for the third and fourth cross-country build-up series.

In Western, plans have already been finalised for the third leg scheduled to be held at its traditional Kapsokwony High School in the undulating slopes of Kenya’s second highest mountain on Friday.

Athletics Kenya Western Chairman, Francis Afundi, said things have been put in place to ensure the event is a success as it has been in the past.

“We have received confirmation of participation by teams including the Kenya Defense Forces, Kenya Police Service and Kenya Prisons. We have also a big team from Uganda and other foreign nationals,” added the official.

Local athletes including Magdaline Masai, Titus Mbishei, Lydia Wafula and others would be racing at Kapsokwony as one way of encouraging upcoming runners from the region.

In Nyahururu, where the fourth of the sixth Kenya Commercial Bank Premium series would be held on Saturday, over 700 participants are expected to honour the meet.

The event will be held at the Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology located on the Nyahururu-Ol Kalao main highway.

“We are sure of hosting a bigger number this year. The participants are expected from training camps in Keringet and Olenguruone and Mt Longonot in Nakuru County and from Nyeri, Embu, Ngong and the host town,” said Francis Kamau, one of the event organisers.

So far, two of the six cross-county Meetings have been held in Nairobi and Iten in the North Rift with cross-country prospects running to gauge their training.

Although there is no cross-country jackpot prize to be contested like in the past, Sheila Chepng’etich and Emmanuel Bor are the favourites in the senior titles after excelling in Iten and Nairobi.

After Mt Elgon and Kapsokwony, the remaining two legs would be moving to Machakos in the Southern region on December 20th and Bomet in the South Rift on January 3rd next year.