Obiri seeks to extend XC dominance at Nandi meet

World Cross Country champion Hellen Obiri will be seeking to extend her dominance at the second Cross Country meet set to be held on Saturday at the Koitalel Arap Samoei University in Nandi County.

Obiri who stormed to victory in the first Cross Country meeting last month in Machakos said she is using the meets in preparation for next year’s Olympic Games.

“I have already started my preparations for next year’s Olympics and as we approach the end of the year I will be heading to Mosoriot Cross Country and thereafter I will shift focus to next year where I plan to take part in Diamond League meetings. At the moment I have not confirmed my programme for next year,” said Obiri.

Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Rift region chairman Abraham Mutai said the preparations for the one-day event are complete and that the region will use the competition to select their team for the National Cross Country Championships slated for February next year in Kisii.

With the 2020 athletics calendar having been ravaged by Covid-19 pandemic, Mutai said they expect many athletes to grace the meeting.

“We are ready for the meeting on Saturday and as a region we have put in place measures to curb the spread of coronavirus as instituted by the Ministry of Sports. We expect many athletes to show up especially after the postponement of the annual Ndalat Gaa Cross Country,” said Mutai.

At the same time, Mutai disclosed that the region which is made up of three counties- Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Baringo will use the meet to select a team to represent the region at the National Cross Country Championships planned for next year February in Kisii County.

“We will be having competitions across all the six categories and we have agreed as a region that we will use the competition to select our team for the national championships because we will not be hosting trials,” added Mutai.