Women’s marathon World record holder Ruth Chepng’etich and reigning 800m Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, are among the top athletes who have confirmed their participation at the 4th Absa Sirikwa Classic Cross Country this Saturday in Eldoret.
Chepng’etich, who became the 1st woman to finish a marathon in a sub 2 hours and 1p minutes when she won the Chicago marathon last year, will tussle for the 10 km title against the New York marathon winner Sheila Chepkurui and this year’s national cross-country champion Brilliant Jepkorir.
Wanyonyi will return to defend his last year’s 2 km loop title on Saturday, just days after reigning supreme at the national cross-country.
According to the race Director Barnaba Korir, all is set for this year’s edition, which will feature over 500 local athletes who will compete in 10 km men and women, under 20 years, men and women, and the 2 km loop for men and women.
“We are impressed with the growth of the race for the past three editions, and this year it can only be better,” said Korir.
Winners of the 10 km races will be rewarded 6,000 US dollars, silver medallists will bag 5,000 USD, and bronze medallists will pocket 4,000 USD.
“We will have kids athletics in the morning, then we will start our core events in the afternoon. We are grateful to World Athletics for the opportunity to organise the only gold-label world cross-country meet in Africa.” Korir added
The Absa Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour is a Gold label event which was introduced in the World Athletics calendar in 2022 and is held annualy at the Lobo Village, Kapseret, in Eldoret,Uasin Gishu County.
