Stars emerging from cross country contests
Athletics
By
Stephen Rutto
| Jan 21, 2026
Frankline Kibet celebrates after winning the U20 men’s race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26. [Courtesy, Standard]
As the cross country season continues after the climax at the World X-C in Tallahassee on January 10, stars to watch in the track and road racing are emerging.
From the season that came early following the rescheduling of the 2026 World Cross Country Championships from March to January, athletes did not only battle for glory; they made names and are joining the list of maestros who used X-C to rise to the pinnacle of global athletics.
With contests such as the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour and Kenya’s longest cross country standing – Discovery, among others, athletes have more competitions to launch their careers.
Their counterparts from neighbouring countries, Ethiopia and Uganda are also following in the footsteps of their legends who went ahead to dominate track and roads after shining at cross country.
Athletes such as Frankline Kibet are emerging after maintaining consistency which resulted in his leading a clean podium sweep for Kenya at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida.
Kibet was second behind Emmanuel Kiprono in the Under-20 category and ahead of world Under-20 5000m champion Andrew Alamisi at the 2026 national cross country championships staged in Eldoret.
The teenager had finished second at the national Cross Country Championships at the Eldoret Sports Club last February. He also secured the runner-up place in the 5000m at the trials for the African Under-20.
In March, Kibet fired a warning shot as he cruised to victory at the Rift Valley Secondary Schools Association term one games in Eldoret.
"The course was tough, but I was determined and trained well, primarily focused on speed," Kibet says on his Tallahassee success.
Kibet is just in a long list of stars who have conquered the world after successful exploits in cross country.
When he transitions to the senior ranks, the youngster is tipped to dethrone Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who has dominated cross country running since 2017 when his country hosted the global show in Kampala.
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, double World Half Marathon gold medallist Paul Tergat and two-time New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, announced their journeys to stardom through challenging cross country contests.
The likes of Tergat and Kipchoge followed in the footsteps of legends such as John Ngugi who was the cross country marker, winning the world titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989, in rare dominance. He also took the crown in 1992.
Athletes such as the reigning champion of London and Berlin Marathons Sabastian Sawe made waves after their dominance in local cross country races.
Sawe produced the most surprising performance of his road racing career as he blasted to victory at the 2024 Valencia 42km showdown on December 1, that year.
Although Cynthia Chepkirui, the winner of the 2026 National Cross Country Championships missed out on a podium position, she is slowly positioning herself in the league of women trying to race to reinforce their journey to stardom to cross country dominance.
Young women such as Chepkirui are following in the footsteps of stars such as three-time world cross country champion Beatrice Chebet, Jane Ngotho, who won the Kenyan Cross Country Championships three years in a row from 1988 to 1990 and World Cross Country Championships Hellen Obiri (2019), Rose Kosgei (1997), Sally Barsosio (1994).
Agnes Ngetich seemed determined on shattering the half marathon world record after being crowned champion in Tallahassee.
"I am proud to become the 10th woman to win world cross country gold for Kenya. Beatrice (Chebet) told me to bring the (gold) medal back home. This title is special," she said.
They however have to take on their East African counterparts such as Marta Alemayo of Ethiopia who took the women’s Under-20 crown at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships in their push to dominate track and road races.