Women’s 10km world record holder Agnes Jebet will lead a formidable lineup at the 4th edition of Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour slated for 22 February at Lobo Village, Eldoret.
The event will serve as the final cross-country event of the 2025 season ushering the track and field season.
Ng’etich, the second fastest woman in half marathon history, will be making her first x-country appearance of the season as she prepares for her track campaign targeting the Tokyo World Athletics Championships. She intends to do a 5, 000m and 10, 000m double.
“I will be here to participate again after racing during the Agnes Tirop memorial edition. I have prepared well for the race. I am using it to gauge my fitness levels as I prepare for the World Championships in Tokyo,” said Ng’etich who graced the inaugural edition (2022) when the race was known as Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour in honor of fallen star Agnes Tirop who was killed in 2021.
She was speaking during the launch of the 2025 edition. Also in attendance were AK President Jack Tuwei, Barnaba Korir, Three-time Boston Marathon champion Ibrahim Hussein, Double world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet and Paul Tergat.
Meet Director Barnaba Korir reaffirmed the race’s commitment to maintain its standards: “The race has been growing and I want to thank World Athletics for granting us two Gold Tour events-the only one in Africa.”
“This privilege allows many of our athletes to compete locally while earning good prize money,” Korir added.
The host of the event Ibrahim Hussein said the course is ready for the event: “We are ready for the event as everything has been put in order. We started with a bang and we thought we had reached the limit but this event continues to grow.”
AK president Jackson Tuwei used the launch to call for an end to malpractices in sport. He issued a stern warning to athletes who participate in doping, age cheating and gender-based violence.
“We are concluding the cross-country season with an international event. But it’s a shame that as we promote events, we are slapped on the face by doping and gender-based violence. I urge the whole system in athletics to uphold respect,” said Tuwei.
Tuwei, the Vice President of the World Athletics, hinted at Kenya bidding for the 2029 World Championships in Nairobi.
His words were echoed by National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Paul Tergat, who urged athletes to protect the country’s reputation by shunning doping.
Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet also encouraged athletes to run clean: “We must compete clean so that we rightfully earn what belongs to us.”
