This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
The 2020 Africa Cross Country Championship season is set to kick off with the Ndalat Gaa Cross Country event, scheduled for October 19, 2019, in Nandi County, Kenya.
Now in its 11th edition, the event has been renamed the Isaiah Kiplagat Memorial Cross Country in honor of the late Athletics Kenya Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat, who pioneered the event 11 years ago to nurture talent from the area.
According to the race organizers, over 7,000 athletes are expected to participate in the event, a significant increase from the 6,000 who took part in the 10th edition.
Registration for the event is free, and coach David Letting, one of the organizers, expressed confidence that the number of participants would be higher, considering it's the first cross-country event before the new season.
Defending champion Rhonex Kipruto has yet to confirm his participation, while Sandra Chebet will be out, competing in the New Delhi Half Marathon. The mantle will be taken up by her younger sister, Beatrice Chebet, the world junior cross-country champion.
Beatrice Chebet won the junior category last year but has since graduated to the senior ranks. Kipruto, who won bronze in the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, won last year's event in 30:52.4, while Bravin Kogei won the junior men's race in 25:09.6.
World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, who recently became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours, is expected to attend the event as the race ambassador.
There will be over 12 categories, including young kids and veterans, with different distances ranging from 500m to 10Km, with age classification.
The winners in all race categories will receive cash prizes and material awards.
