Sirikwa classic set to test elite and emerging athletes
The Sirikwa Classic World Athletics Cross Country Gold Tour has established itself as one of the sport’s key early-season races, providing a testing ground for both established athletes and emerging talent in Kenya’s distance-running heartland.
The annual event, held at Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, is one of two World Cross Country Gold Tour races in Kenya, alongside the Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run, which is staged in December.
The race regularly attracts a strong domestic and international field, with athletes using it to assess their form ahead of the track and field season, marathons and mountain and trail running competitions.
Several runners who have performed strongly at Sirikwa have gone on to achieve international success, reinforcing the event’s growing status as a launchpad for elite careers.
Among the leading contenders for the fifth edition is Kenya’s Daniel Simiu, one of the most consistent performers on the global cross-country circuit.
Simiu is fresh from winning a bronze medal in the men’s 10km senior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, where Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo claimed gold for a third time.
The Kenyan is targeting a third Sirikwa Classic title, a result that would make him the most successful athlete in the event’s history.
Race organisers say the competition plays a key role in developing young athletes before they step onto the international stage.
“We are lucky because of the races that were awarded to Kenya, and going into the fifth edition, the race has seen many champions being born,” race director Barnaba Korir said. “The kids who compete get motivation, and they realise they have talent and go on to do well internationally.”
Kenya’s depth in distance running is expected to again produce a competitive field, with a mix of experienced runners and emerging athletes set to compete on home soil.
