Why the atmosphere is different when Eldoret hosts national cross country show
Athletics
By
Stephen Rutto
| Feb 01, 2025
Competition at the Kenyan National Cross Country is propelled by athletes' desire to clinch tickets to the global X-C event.
This year however, is not a World Cross Country Championships year.
The global contest will be staged at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, USA in 2026.
But despite not being a World Cross Country Championships year, the thirst for a national title is set to ignite strong competition when Eldoret, the City of Champions hosts the 2025 National Cross Country Championships on February 8.
The national cross country event has often been the climax of the challenging race, and is used to name the Kenyan team during a World X-C year.
The choice of venue for this year's National Cross Country has been tipped to fuel blistering contests.
When it happens in Eldoret where a majority of athletics stars live and train, nothing other than fireworks are expected.
Observers say a number of the country's cross country big shots might not take part in the Eldoret showdown because of the fact that the world showpiece is not happening this year, but they predict that many new stars will be tuning their sights on turning tables in their home city.
An athlete such as Samwel Chebolei, who chalked up victory at the 34th edition of Discovery Kenya Cross Country in Eldoret last week will not be taking part in the national contest.
"I am not taking part in the National Cross Country championships because my focus will be on an upcoming road race before a major race later in the year," says Chebolei.
Other athletes such as World Championship star Cornelius Kemboi and World Road Running half marathon bronze medallist Catherine Reline are weighing between the national contest and the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour which will be happening on February 23, also in Eldoret.
Crowd-puller
At the Eldoret cross country showpiece, fans will not fail to spot athletics legends who laid the marker in various events.
Big events such as the National Cross Country Championships have pulled huge numbers of athletics enthusiasts who have always gathered to follow the competitions live.
You will rarely fail to spot in the crowds, Olympic champion from the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Kipchoge Keino who has a stadium named after him in the city, three-time Boston Marathon Champion Ibrahim Hussein and to the recent greats among them former marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and two-time Olympic steeplechase Champion Ezekiel Kemboi among hundreds of retired stars who receive red carpet receptions across the globe.
Legends, who competed in the 1960s to early 1990s, will be reminiscing the old days where they ran barefoot as they watched stars racing with modern shoes that give athletes much more comfort.
Traditional songs and dances that are used to entertain champions at airports have spiced events such as Sirikwa Classic Cross Country is a common spectacle when the city is hosting athletics events.
Eldoret has no doubt been the theatre of huge surprises and unforgettable thrillers and the national event is unlikely to be an exception.
For instance, Steeplechase specialist Amos Kirui upstaged some of the country's experienced athletes among them four-time (two junior and two senior) World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor when the city hosted the event.
Kirui, the 2016 world Under-20 steeplechase champion sprinted away from a field that included Kamworor and World Under-20 10,000m champion Rhonex Kipruto to win by a seven-second margin and qualified for the 43rd World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.
Kamworor, who finished fifth in Eldoret (2019) went ahead to save Kenya blushes after bagging bronze behind Ugandan duo of Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo who won gold and silver respectively.
World 5000m champion Hellen Obiri dominated the senior women's race in Eldoret and at the world stage, he reproduced the same script and brought home the gold medal.
Veteran coach Bro Colm O'Connell says hosting the national event in Eldoret is special.
O'Connell, who has produced athletes such as 800m World Record Holder David Rudisha, says many youngsters will be inspired by watching athletics bigwigs race for national glory at the Mecca of athletics.
In a recent interview, the Iten-based coach said a spectacular showdown would be the order of the day when the City of Champions hosts the national event.
According to O'Connell, pressure among athletes from the region including Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Bomet and Baringo among others to produce stellar performances at home will propel athletics stars to impressing enthusiasts as well as friends and relatives who will be on the sidelines, cheering them.
"Staging the National Cross Country championships in Eldoret - where the majority of the participating athletes come from is special. The atmosphere will be fantastic and don't forget the pressure not to disappoint at home," the father of athletics training said.
He went on to say: "Villagers will halt their activities to come and watch athletics because athletics is the most successful sport in the region. They know and identify with the world beaters."
Athletes will be looking to shine in the10km senior men and women's race while the Under-20s are eying prestigious spots in the 8km (men) and 6km (women) at the National Cross Country Championships.
An exciting 2km loop which has been dominated by 800m and 1500m athletes will also be among events in the national extravaganza.
It will be staged in the same venue that hosted the 2019 edition.
Challenging obstacles were mounted on the flat Eldoret Sports Club course, among them a hay barrier and mud, making it an exhilarating contest.