Top athletes line up for Discovery cross country

Kenya's Rhonex Kipruto celebrates finishing third in the Men's 10,000m final at the 2019. IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on October 6, 2019. [Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP]

Top guns will line up tomorrow at the Discovery Kenya cross country in Eldoret, a race that is expected to electrify the North Rift town.

World beaters who have previously tested their athletics strength at the cross country race that traditionally takes place at the Eldoret Sports Club will be facing off in what is likely to be a scintillating show.

Prominent coach and one of the race’s organisers David Letting said on Friday that world 10km record holder Rhonex Kipruto and former World Under-20 10,000m champion Rodgers Kwemoi will be among stars battling for honours.

Kipruto, the world Under-20 10,000m champion had a stellar 2020.

On January 12, he smashed Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei ‘s 26:38 world 10km road race world record in Valencia, setting a new mark at 26:24. Cheptegei had set the record on December 1, 2019.

Athlete Geoffrey Kamworor (3128) leads 10,000M specialist Bedan Karoki (3161) and 1500M World Champion Asbel Kiprop during the 25th edition of the Discovery Cross Country held at the Eldoret Sports Club in 2016. [KEVIN TUNOI, The Standard]

Kwemoi on the other hand made his international debut in the junior race at the 2015 World Cross Country Championships, where his 10th place finish helped the Kenyan men’s team win the title.

A gigantic clash is also expected in the women’s category, with a strong field comprising former world cross country (junior) champion Faith Chepngetich and the 2015 world cross country champion and two-time world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop lining up.

Chepngetich, the 1500m Olympic champion won the women’s junior race in the World Cross Country Championships in 2013.

Tirop first rose to prominence at national level in 2012.