During the 1994 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Budapest, Hungary, on March 26 at the Kincsem Park, in a show of superiority, Kenya won seven of the gold medals on offer.
Kenya Prisons’ warder Helen Chepngeno became the first Kenyan woman to win the long course senior women’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Susan Sirma had previously won a bronze medal over 3,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships, becoming the first black African woman to win a track and field medal at World Championship or Olympic level.
In Hungary, Chepngeno beat Irish star Liz McKiernan while Julius Sigei retained the men’s crown, out-kicking his compatriot Simon Chemoiywo and, surprisingly, world 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie — the new-kid-on-the-block in global athletics.
Kenya’s women’s team first appeared in the world cross in 1987 where they were fifth and Lydia Cheromei won the 6km junior title in 1991.
In the women’s short course 4km race, which was first held in 1998, Kenya earned three straight third place positions. In both 2001 and 2002, the team was second.
Individually, Jackline Maranga won in 1999 and Edith Masai was the three-time world champion in 2002/04. On the track, she was the bronze medallist over 5000 metres at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics.
In the women’s junior team races, Kenya has won 10 out of 15 titles since the race’s inception in 1989, plus four runners-up positions and a third place finish.
In 1994, Kenyans won all four senior individual titles. The following year, the country won all four team titles in the men’s and women’s senior and junior races.
Since 1990, Kenya has a success story; with 49 teams and 27 individual crowns.
Yet we can say that Chepng’eno remains the figurehead of cross country racing.
She inspired many like Vivian Cheruiyot who won the world junior silver medal at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships behind Werknesh Kidane.
She became the junior champion at the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
At the 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics, she won the bronze medal in the 3,000 metres. She earned a senior call-up for the 1999 All Africa Games, where she managed a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres.
It was not until 1967 when women were officially allowed into international cross country competitions. Doris Brown of the USA won the inaugural women’s race at the International Cross Country Championships in Barry, Wales that year.
