byJustin LagatThis piece was from Justin Lagat on how big the Mumias AK T&F would be this weekend.
Janeth Jepkosgei, photo by PhotoRun.net
2019 Mumias AK track and field meeting bound to be the biggest in Kenya this year
Given its proximity in the Western part of Kenya, which is just about 120km to areas with the highest concentration of runners, the AK track and field meeting set for this weekend is bound to be the biggest AK meeting in Kenya this year. The meeting was to happen in the Bhukungu Stadium in Kakamega, but was moved to the Mumias Sports Complex within the last few days.
This is the closest that a track and field meeting has been brought this year to the athletes training in the three towns of Iten, Eldoret and Kapsabet. At first, there had been scheduled a meeting in Eldoret before changes were made and the meeting moved to Nairobi to act as a national trials for the African championships.
Being the nearest, many upcoming athletes will be willing to travel for a chance to gauge their year-long training and to hopefully capture the attention of an agent who would enroll them in management. For the established runners, it will be a chance to prove to their management that they are in good form to be entered in big competitions out of the country. It will also be a chance for the athletes to get noticed by the Athletics Kenya selectors and be included in the invitation lists for the national trials for both the African and world championships.
With all these in perspective, one thing is sure. This will most likely be the AK meeting with the highest concentration of stars and the fiercest competition this year in Kenya.
Big stars just turn up in local competitions in Kenya without much fanfare. However, due to some queries on whether some athletes will be eligible to run in some races here after the IAAF ruling that affected women with high levels of testosterone, Maximilla Imali who holds the Kenyan national record and represented Kenya at the 2017 world championships will be participating in the sprint events.
There is some high expectations that Janeth Jepkosgei, the former world champion and Olympic Silver medalist in the women’s 800m event, could most likely be coming back to action here again after her long break from competitive running.
After the meeting in Mumias, there will be one more AK meeting in Narok before the national trials for the African Athletics Championships in Nairobi.
