Running is done on three surfaces: the roads, the stadiums, and on grass, like it will be at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country -A World Athletics Cross Country Gold level event- on February 3rd.
It is the season when much of the running is happening on grass, with major cross country events occurring worldwide.
While there is less focus on times posted in the cross-country events because of the different terrains and obstacles on the courses, it is nevertheless exciting for fans to watch runners tackle the sharp bends, the muddy sections, and other exciting parts of the course as they run in a loop.
Two of the biggest cross country events will take place in Kenya over the next two weekends, beginning with the Nike Discovery Cross Country event this Sunday, January 28th.
Great fun, memories, moments, and thrilling experiences have often been witnessed in the cross-country events staged around Eldoret, the city of Champions. The fans usually turn up in great numbers, and being in the center of the world's granary of runners, there is also a huge turnout of great runners to participate in these events.
Speaking during the launch of the Sirikwa Classic World Athletics Continental Tour event, Ibrahim Hussein, who was in charge of designing the course, acknowledged that Cross country has evolved and is now mainly done in a loop.
"We want to have athletes run on a good course, but we also want to entertain the fans," Hussein said.
November through February are months that witness a lot of foreign runners from countries affected by the winter in their countries coming to pitch their training camps in Kenya, especially in Iten. These runners often grace the cross country events here as either participants or spectators.
At the Nike Discovery Cross Country happening this weekend, there will be a lot of raw talent competing against the seasoned runners and big stars. It is open for everyone to register and run and runners across the field of running, from middle-distance track to marathon runners. Marathon runners come to test their speed, while the middle distance runners come to test their endurance.
On the other hand, the Sirikwa Classic is an invitational event where only the best runners are invited to compete for some great prizes. The race director, Mr. Barnaba Korir, announced that the prize money will increase this time. The incentive should result in great competition amongst the world's best runners who will attend the event.
