2016 Ndalat Gaa XC to honour founder Isaiah Kiplagat

2016 Ndalat Gaa XC to honour founder Isaiah Kiplagat

This year’s 2016 Ndalat Gaa Kids Cross Country will honour its founder and fallen Athletics Kenya (AK) president, Isaiah Kiplagat when it runs on October 15 in Nandi County with Olympics 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto slotted in as the main guest, organisers announced Wednesday.

It will be the first time in eight years the event will run without Kiplagat who succumbed to cancer on August 24 with Kennedy Tanui, who is the Organising Secretary saying during the 2016 edition’s launch in Nairobi they were keen on building on the legacy of the long-serving boss.

Integrated communications firm, Safaricom boosted the cross country that emphasises on young runners with Ksh2m towards its organisation.

“This event has grown significantly over the last seven years. We appreciate the support of our sponsors, partners and athletes who have taken part in the race, which is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated athletics events in Nandi County,” Tanui added.

“We are committed to carrying on the legacy of our race founder by ensuring that the effort he put into making this event a success continues to have impact for many years to come,” he added.

Over 5000 athletes of different ages are expected to take part in front of spectators topping 30,000 with no registration fee for those running in the various categories.

“I’m also proud to say that as the event has grown so has our sponsorship, and I believe that this reflects the growing importance of the race not just to the community,” Victor Ngumo, Safaricom Head of Regional Sales and Operations for Nairobi West said.

Champion athletes such as Asbel Kiprop, Priscah Jeptoo, Faith Chepng’etich, Caroline Chepkoech, Agnes Tirop as well as two-time Worlds silver medallist who won the Olympics title in August, Kipruto  have ran at previous editions of Ndalat Gaa.

Kiplagat who served as AK president from 1992 to November 2015 founded the event as an example of the Kids Athletics programme launched by world governing body, the IAAF where he served as a Council Member from 1999 to August 2015.

IAAF Kids’ Athletics is one of the biggest grassroots development programmes in the world of sports. Created in 2005, IAAF Kids’ Athletics has been implemented in 134 Member Federations and has reached an estimated cumulative audience of more than 13 million children.

 

The IAAF objectives of the programme are to make Athletics the number one participation sport in schools, to educate kids into sport in general and athletics in particular and thus promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and to attract and sustain the potential sporting stars of tomorrow.

The IAAF Kids’ Athletics aims to ensure a steady and sustainable policy of development of the sport of Athletics. The aim of which is to introduce children to Athletics at a basic level.

Tags:

Athletics Kenya IAAF Isaiah Kiplagat Kids Athletics Ndalat Gaa

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