Reigning Valencia Ibercaja 10km champion Daniel Simiu Ebenyo will be competing at Sunday’s 31st edition of Discovery Kenya Cross country championships to be held at the Eldoret Sports Club.
Simiu, the 12km Cape Town champion said he will be using the cross country as part of training for two World Indoor Athletics championships at Mondeville and Metz indoors all in France.
He will begin with the Mondeville on 9th February before competing at the Metz indoors on 12th February where he will be running in 3,000m.
“I want to run at the Discovery Kenya, which will be very competitive as part of my training for world Indoor championships with an aim of better results,” said Simiu.
As a 5,000m runner, he said running in 3,000m is good for his career and it will open doors of success in 2022 ahead of the Commonwealth Games as well as World Championships in Oregon.
“Am sharpening my skills here in Iten and competing at the Discovery, which is the pioneer in the country. This is like running at home and I can’t afford to miss this extravaganza,” he said.
The San Silvestre Vallecana 10km champion won the Valencia Ibercaja race held on 9th January in 26:57, missing a world record set by compatriot Rhonex Kipruto two years ago.
The ever green runner had also won the inaugural Nakuru City Half marathon champion, after finishing second at the Athletics Kenya Sotik Cross Country championships and missed to defend his Corrida de Houilles 10km that was canceled.
“Running at the cross country will be part of my endurance ahead of World Indoor championships to prepare me for the major championships across the world,” he added.
After dropping out of the race during the national cross country championships held last Saturday at the Lobo Village in Eldoret, Simiu said he has never completed the national cross country championships.
“I have never completed the national cross country championships and I don’t know why. It has been like that for a long time. I just dropped off the course and it has been a norm. I have never had the gas to complete the race. But I think this time I was tired unlike other national championships,” he explained.
“Even if I don’t win Discovery Kenya, I want to get the best out of it. I want to run my best. That is my target that will mark my 2022 season,” he said.