This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to the athletics calendar, but the recent announcement of new dates for the World Continental Tour and Diamond League has brought relief to Kenyan athletes.
According to the revised calendar, the Nairobi Athletics Meeting, which was initially scheduled for May 2, will now take place on September 26. The event will be one of the eight legs of the World Continental Tour, a second-tier international one-day meeting series formed by World Athletics last year.
The World Continental Tour will feature events such as the 200m, 3,000m steeplechase, discus, hammer, and triple jump, which have been removed from the Diamond League prime time. A total prize money of at least $200,000 will be offered for each Gold meeting.
World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri and former World 1,500m champion Elijah Manang'oi have welcomed the new dates, saying that normalcy should resume in four months. They have also expressed support for the suggestion to hold the Continental Tour at Nyayo National Stadium, describing the arena as ideal.
However, Korir, the Race Director of the Nairobi Athletics Meeting, has cautioned that the Local Organising Committee is considering hosting the event at Nyayo National Stadium instead of the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, pending the laying of a new tartan track.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has praised the cooperative effort of the meeting organisers to work with World Athletics to put together a substantial competition season for top athletes.
