Charles Kamathi (KEN) (© Getty Images)
Athletics chiefs have promised an exciting national championships, which run from Thursday to Saturday (10 - 12 July) at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in the capital Nairobi, despite the fact that many top athletes will be racing at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Rome on Friday.
David Okeyo, Athletics Kenya Secretary General, said the Kenyan championships are never short of world class fields and urged fans to attend in large numbers to watch their heroes and heroines.
"I have just confirmed that World 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi is back in the country and his employers, Kenya Police, have confirmed that he will run for them. Catherine Ndereba has just won the Sapporo Half-Marathon in Japan and is headed home. That alone should give a glimpse of what to expect," said Okeyo at the pre-event news conference in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Athletics Kenya has not made it mandatory for athletes to participate in the National Championships this time because a trials meet for selecting athletes for the 9th IAAF World Championships will follow on 25 July.
Only athletes who have made the World Championships qualifying standards will be invited for the trials, which will be straight finals in the long distance races, and with semi-finals and finals in 800m and 1500m.
Others to be invited for the trials are athletes who will finish in the top three in middle and distance races, and one to eight in the sprints.
Kenyan athletics chiefs have invited seven African nations to spice up the national championships, namely from South Africa, Eritrea, Uganda, Liberia, Burundi, Seychelles and Tanzania.
Rift Valley province, which is home to dozens of Olympic and World champions, will miss stars like Stephen Cherono, and World 5000m champion Richard Limo, who are busy in the European circuit, but last year's Boston and New York
City Marathon runner-up Christopher Cheboiboch will lead a star-studded programme that includes cross country aces Prisca Chepleting and Elizabeth Rumokal.
The championships will also see the conclusion of Athletics Kenya/Energizer Golden Jackpot which provides Sh 1 million ($12,000) to athletes who win their events in four of the seven weekend meetings which started in May including the National Championships.
So far 10 athletes are in the race for the prize money namely -Women: Jacinta Wambui, Jacqueline Nyarunda (400m), Janet Busienei (800m), Cecilia Kiplagat (Javelin) and Margaret Ngotho (1500m); Men: Ezra Sambu (400m), Ishmael Ahmed (800m), Peter Saina and Paul Lagat (Javelin) and Ezekiel Kemboi (3,000mSC).
Ndereba will spearhead the Kenya Prisons 'Golden Girls' club's challenge during the championships, and Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Selina Kosgei, Susan Chepkemei who won the Peach Tree road race last weekend, Ruth Kutol, Margaret Okayo, Edith Masai, Caroline Kwambai and Anastacia Ndereba will also ensure that the Prisons finish in a respectable position.
The men's 3,000m steeplechase should be dominated by the Armed Forces with 2000 Olympics silver medallist and 1997 World champion Wilson Boit Kipketer, 1996 Atlanta Olympics champion Joseph Keter, and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Abraham Cherono, expected to lead the attack.
Patrick Ivuti, World 12-km cross country silver medallist, and John Korir Cheruiyot will face World champion Kamathi in the 10,000m, while Olympic 1500m champion Noah Ngeny will have another chance to salvage his stature at his specialist distance after failing to finish in the Armed Forces Championships last month.
