By Courtesy/ World Athletics
Commonwealth Games 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Leonard Bett and 2022 African 10,000m champion Caroline Nyaga will headline the opening leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Championships in Machakos on Saturday.
The season opener, scheduled for October 24, will provide athletes with an early opportunity to assess their form and endurance as they begin preparations for a demanding new campaign.
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National athletics coach Julius Kirwa said the championships would also help Kenya identify and develop a strong team for next year’s African Athletics Championships, scheduled for August 27 to September 10 in Cairo, Egypt.
“We want to get a strong team to represent Kenya during the African Championships. These cross-country races are where we start,” Kirwa said.
He added that the meeting would form part of Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, as the country looks to maintain its position among the world’s leading athletics nations.
“We have to plan ourselves because we have the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, then we bring the World Championships home in 2029,” he said.
Successful season
Bett heads into the senior men’s 10km race after an encouraging 2026 season that saw him secure bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
The 25-year-old began his campaign at the Kip Keino Classic in April, finishing third in the 3,000m steeplechase in 8:25.06 before competing at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting on June 7, where he clocked 8:18.70 to finish ninth.
He subsequently placed third at the National Championships on July 10 before producing one of his standout performances at the Commonwealth Games on July 27, winning bronze in 8:21.63.
Last month, Bett returned to competition at the New Balance Mile Road Race, clocking 3:52.2.
Nyaga, meanwhile, will be looking to regain her momentum after finishing 13th in the women’s 5km road race at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 15:17.
The African 10,000m champion faces a competitive field in Machakos, with Rebecca Mwangi among the athletes expected to challenge for honours in the senior women’s race.
Youngsters target honours
The championships will feature senior men’s and women’s 10km races, Under-20 men’s and women’s 6km contests, Under-18 boys’ and girls’ races, and a 2km loop.
In the women’s Under-20 6km race, 2025 African Under-18 3,000m champion Cynthia Chepkurui will be among the athletes to watch, while African Under-18 100m champion Clinton Aluvi is expected to headline the 2km loop.
The competition will also offer prize money across the categories, with senior race winners set to pocket Sh50,000.
The senior runners-up will earn Sh40,000, while third-place finishers will receive Sh25,000, with prizes extending to 10th place.
In the Under-20 category, the top three finishers will receive Sh30,000, Sh20,000 and Sh15,000, respectively. Winners in the Under-18 races and the 2km loop will take home Sh10,000, with runners-up earning Sh8,000 and third-place finishers Sh6,000.
Kirwa urged athletes from Machakos, Nairobi and neighbouring areas, including Ngong and Kiambu, to turn out in large numbers for the season opener.
“This is a very good build-up for the coming year. I urge coaches to ensure that the athletes under their management turn up so that they can gauge their form, because we have a very long season ahead,” he said.
