AK names new world race in honour of legend Ngugi
Kenyan leg of the inaugural World Cross Country Tour has been named John Ngugi Country Tour in honour of the five-time world champion.
The Kenyan event will be held on February 12 in Eldoret with the local organising committee upbeat they will deliver a great event.
“We have named the event the John Ngugi Cross Country Tour because he is a legend,” said Athletics Kenya senior vice-president Paul Mutwii.
Mutwii, who is also the chair of the committee, said with the World Athletics Cross Country Tour having begun in Cardiff this past weekend, it should signify a competitive season ahead.
According to World Athletics, the World Cross Country Tour is expected to have stops in North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe and will incorporate many of the world’s biggest and most prestigious cross country meetings that have been part of the Cross Country Permit series in recent years.
Athletes will compete in various meets throughout the year and earn cross country ranking points based on their relative finishes.
Mutwii said they have already identified the venue for the one-day event and are working on other logistics.
“We were in Eldoret to try and identify the best venue to host this event. We have settled on Lobo village, situated between the airport and town.
It is a suitable site and we are still working on it. Immediately we finalise on it, we will invite the technical team from World Athletics,” disclosed Mutwii.
AK president Jack Tuwei said early preparations are necessary due to the minimal time between now and February especially with regards to invitations.
“When you send invitations to athletes, you have to include the route, altitude of the place and the weather conditions. The course will also have to be inspected and approved,” Tuwei said.
