World Under-20 5000m champion Edward Zakayo, 2017 World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai and Michael Kibet are among the athletes to watch during the Athletics Kenya North Rift region trials which will be held at the Kitale’s Kenyatta stadium in Trans Nzoia County on Saturday.
Former World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai has set her eyes on the 10,000m race at the World Championships after her comeback from maternity.
Cheptai, who made history by leading other Kenyans in taking the first six positions at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda is seeking to leave a mark once again.
She has been training for the last few months, her mission being part of the Kenyan team that will represent the country in the World Championships slated for September and October in Doha, Qatar.
Last weekend Cheptai led in the 5,000m race during the Elgeyo Marakwet County trials which she said was good start to the season ahead.
“I have been training hard since I came back from maternity and my mission is to compete at the National trials for a slot in the Kenyan team. I will be participating in the 10,000m race,” she confirmed.
The 27-year-old finished third in the 10,000m race at the third and final Athletics Kenya Track and Field meet recently held at Narok Stadium after clocking 33 minutes, 41.3 seconds.
The athlete said that the AK meetings gave her good experience and she will be working extra hard to make the team.
“It’s challenging when one comes back from the maternity because you have to cut the weight before you match the other athletes. I believe I have done enough training and I will once again participate in the 5,000m race which I’m using to gauge my speed,” she added.
Cheptai finished seventh in the 5,000m race at the 2015 World Championships held in Beijing, China before retaining the same position at the 2017 edition in London this time though in the 10,000m race.
Michael Kibet said that he has what it takes to make the team after the National trials and he wants to represent Kenya in the 5,000m race at the global event.
According to Kibet who also trains in Iten, he got experience when he participated in various Diamond League races which he said gave him good experience.
“The international various races I have taken part in including the Rabat Diamond League where I was in seventh position in 1,500m were crucial as I was using them to improve on my speed which is important in the 5,000m,” said the athlete, who trains under coach William Koila.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya is working closely with AK to test and educate athletes ahead of the World Championships.
In an anti-doping awareness seminar for track and field athletes in Eldoret, Adak’s Agnes Mandu said that the agency is working closely with Athletics Kenya to meet the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) requirements ahead of the global event.
“AIU has given us some requirements for the athletes who will compete that they must be educated on the topics relevant to them. We are here to fulfil the requirements by AIU to Athletics Kenya because it is the mandate of Adak to educate athletes,” said Mandu.
She added that they have met 40 athletes in Eldoret and the same number had been trained in Nairobi meaning that they had surpassed the target of 72 probable athletes ahead of the World Championships.
