This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
Published on July 16, 2020, Nairobi is gearing up to host the World Athletics Continental Tour in September, an event that promises to bring together top athletes from across the globe.
The inaugural Tour, classified as the second tier of the Diamond League, will commence in earnest in four weeks' time in Turku, Finland, according to World Athletics.
Nairobi is among eight cities, including Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Tokyo (Japan), Silesia (Poland), and Ostrava (Czech Republic), that will be hosting the Gold meetings.
The Nairobi meet, which was earlier scheduled for May 2, has been named after legendary athlete Kipchoge Keino and has adopted the name – Kip Keino Classic.
According to AK executive committee member Barnaba Korir, who is the race director, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is pulling all stops to ensure a successful event.
"We have agreed to have this event at Nyayo where we have a new tartan track after the recent refurbishment," Korir said.
He added that AK had signed a contract with the Ministry of Sports, which will unlock funds for preparation.
"The preparation has been going on well since the beginning of the year. The Ministry of Sports has guaranteed adequate funding," Korir said.
The meetings will be held throughout August and September, with a total prize purse of at least Sh21.3 million offered for each Gold meeting.
