The Athletics Kenya National Cross country championships set for this Saturday will be held in the afternoon compared to other years when the championships are staged in the morning.
In a statement from Riadha House, the championships will not only be racing but a lot of entertainment among other events.
The event that will be hosted at the historical Eldoret Sports Club is set to be used by the federation to select top athletes for various international events.
In a statement, the said: “This year will be different with races commencing in the afternoon. This schedule allows for an entertainment segment and a medical camp to be held before the events, enhancing the experience for both athletes and spectators.”
The athletes will compete in three categories, 10km senior men and women, under 20 men’s 8km and under 20 women’s 6km and 2km loop for men and women.
“To spice up the competition, AK has revamped the prize money structure, ensuring top performers receive substantial rewards. In the senior 10km races, the winners will pocket Ksh 200,000, followed by Ksh 130,000 for second place and Ksh 100,000 for third place. Those finishing fourth to tenth will receive Ksh 70,000, Ksh 50,000, Ksh 40,000, Ksh 30,000, Ksh 20,000 and Ksh 10,000 respectively,” AK said.
They added: “In the under 20 category, the top three finishers will take home Ksh 140,000, Ksh 90,000 and Ksh 70,000 respectively, with additional prizes for those finishing in the top 10. Meanwhile, in the 2km loop race, the winner will bag Ksh 50,000, with second and third places earning Ksh 40,000 and Ksh 30,000 respectively.
Last year, Sabastian Sawe and Agnes Jebet Ngetich were crowned the champions in senior men and women respectively.
Sawe, the winner of Valencia marathon in December had won the cross country held at the Ruiru Prison in 28:39 followed by Samwel Chebolei Masai (28:39) in second place with Gideon Rono cominh third at 28:42.
Ngetich cut the tape in 31:51 for the women title, leading Lillian Kasait (31:57) with Beatrice Chebet (32:00) in third.
Reynold Cheruiyot won the 2km loop after timing 5:32 followed by Emmanuel Wanyonyi (5:34) and Daniel Munguti clocked 5:35 in third as Virginia Nyambura won the women side in 6:16 beating Mercy Wanjiru (6:18) to second and Purity Chepkirui (6:19) in second.