World beating Kenyan athletes will have a rare opportunity to race before a home crowd as Africa hosts it’s first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold in Nairobi this Saturday.
The newly refurbished Nyayo stadium will be the venue for the Kip Keino Classic, a race named after the first Kenyan to have won an Olympic gold, Kipchoge Keino.
But the 37-year-old Nyayo will bring some memories for the likes of Hellen Obiri, the reigning World champion who last raced at the iconic venue, at the international stage, over 10 years ago.
Nyayo last hosted an international championship in July 2010 when Nairobi staged the 2010 African Championships in Athletics.
Obiri, who was involved in farming for the better part of the year when Kenya suspended all sporting activities last March, will be looking to end the season strongly after solid performances in the make-up season of the Wanda Diamond League.
The reigning world cross country champion will compete in the women’s 5000m.
“I am excited that I am finishing the season at home,” Obiri said. “It will be very good for us as Kenyan athletes to race in front of our home fans and for them to watch us race. I am expecting very good competition and may the best person win,” Obiri was quoted by the World Athletics.
Obiri has been on a scintillating form this season, winning the opening leg of the Diamond League in Monaco.
The army woman clocked a meet record time of 14:22.12 and was again on the top podium last weekend where she won the Doha 3000m in a sizzling world lead of 8:22.54.
But more action is also lined up for the 6,000 fans who will be allowed access at Nyayo in line with Covid-19 protocols, and thousands who will follow the preceding on the television or online.
The highlight of the event could be the women’s steeplechase where reigning world champion Beatrice Chepkoech will get a race chance to avenge the lose she suffered at the hand of Hyvin Kiyeng in Berlin.
Chepkoech posted a personal best time (8:22.92) at the Doha Diamond League meeting last weekend despite coming home third.
Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion, posted world lead time of 9:06.14 in Berlin last month.
Another top Kenyan runner Fancy Cherono, the African U20 champion, is also in the list along with Bahraini Winfred Mutile Yavi.
Yavi finished fourth at the 2019 Doha World Championships and she’s coming to Nairobi with a personal best time of 9:05.68
Reigning world and Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto who recently recovered from Covid19 will be aiming to entertain the home crowd with a memorable race.
Kipruto has raced just once this season; a race that he didn’t finish. He will most definitely wants to put on a great show before a passionate home crowd, some who have never have a rare privilege of watching him run at home, at such a big state.
Kipruto will face opposition from the 2016 world U20 champion Amos Kirui and the U20 World Cross Country Championships silver medalist, Tadese Worku of Ethiopia.
World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot who has the world’s lead time (3:28.45) will battle for the 1500m title with seasoned athlete Silas Kiplagat.
Ferguson Rotich who had a victory in Doha, will face stiff opposition from youngsters like the Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and 2016 world U20 champion Kumari Taki.
Ivory Coast’s Arthur Cisse tops the 200m entries and going by his recent form – an Ivorian record of 20.23 last weekend in Doha – he undoubtedly remains the favourite.
South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile can be a threat, as the 18-year old has already shown he has some star-power, clocking a season’s best of 20.47 back in March, just before the sporting world came to a halt. Dambile has a personal best of 20.43.
Veteran US sprinter Mike Rodgers will also line up.
British sprinter Kristal Awuah and middle-distance runner Noeli Yarigo from Benin eye to wrap up their season in style.
Awuah, who has contested nine 100m races in the last two months and three 200m races, will race in the longer dash while Yarigo will compete in the women’s 800m.
The duo are among 30 athletes who had arrived in Nairobi on Thursday evening.
Awuah, 21, won bronze in 100m at the 2018 World U20 Championships, and is fresh from a fourth place finish in the 100m at the Doha Diamond League event in a season’s best 11.27.
Yarigo, who has competed in 10 800m races since July, has warned Kenyan athletes to expect a fast race.
Yarigo’s season best is 2:00.11 from her victory in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 19 August. “The track looks pretty fast and I am looking for 1:59 on Saturday,” said Yarigo, who refers to Kenya as her second home, having trained in Eldoret in recent years.
Besides Eunice Sum, the 2013 world champion, Yarigo will face Emily Cherotich from Kenya, Nelly Jepkosgei from Bahrain and Ethiopian Habitam Alemu.
Additional reporting by World Athletics