African Road Cycling Champs to attract over 20 countries

Speaking during the official launch on Friday, Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the event’s course would cover three counties of Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet, with Eldoret City acting as the finishing point.

“As we broaden our participation in global sports disciplines. It's important to note that Kenya did not present any cycling to the Paris 2024 Olympics, except for one in Paralympics. This indicates the need for a most strategic focus on developing our cycling talent to compete globally.”

Kenya will be represented by 42 cyclists led by top cyclist Nancy Akinyi Debe, who will also double up as Team Kenya captain.

“By hosting this prestigious championship, Kenya is once again reaffirming its status as a sporting powerhouse on the continent, not just in athletics,” he added.

The CS welcomed the opportunity to host Africa’s most prestigious cycling event and said it was a “chance to showcase their ability to host big events” ahead of AFCON 2027 and CHAN 2025 Championships.

The Time Trials will kick off the action on October 9 with Junior, Under-23 and Elite races for both men and women taking place on the same day.

The Junior women will race one lap of the 11.2km circuit around Eldoret City, while the male juniors and women U23s and Elites tackle the loop twice.

The men’s U23 and elite events will be raced over three laps over a total of 33.8km. The headline events will be raced over the weekend.

The women’s U23 and Elite road races will take place on Saturday, October 12 while the male U23 and elites meet the following day.  

The ladies will battle it out on a challenging 104km parkour starting in Eldoret and finishing in Iten. The men will encounter a similar route, but instead take two tours of the long loop for a total of 157km.

In between the time trials and road races, the ever-exiting Mixed Relay Time Trial will be held on Thursday, October 10 with Friday 11 being the day for the junior road races.

Kenya Cycling Federation CEO Kelvin Mwangi hailed the event as a milestone for the growth of cycling in Kenya, adding that the Eldoret City’s climate and a well-developed road network hold tremendous potential to unlock a cycling culture in the region.

“Top African cyclist Biniam Girmay has already confirmed he will race and so it will be an exciting event. We’ve also identified the roads that will be used and police are aware and everything will be in place before and during the event.

“We urge Kenyans to come out in large numbers and enjoy cycling. It’s one of the best sports and so we need to encourage more people to take up,” he said.

 Girmay made history at the Tour de France after becoming the first Black African to win a stage as well as the green jersey for best sprinter.

Team Kenya captain Debe expressed confidence the local cyclists will perform well.

This marks the first time the continental cycling championship will be held in Kenya. Last year's edition took place in Ghana.

Additional reporting by Bernard Cheruiyot.