Tanzania to field four runners in World Cross Country

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will send four athletes in the World Cross Country Championships schedued to take place on February 18 in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.

The race will start and finish at the Mount Panorama Circuit under the supervision of the World Athletics (WA).

Athletics Tanzania (AT) acting secretary general Jackson Ndaweka said preparations for the event are going on well and athletes will feature in four events.

Ndaweka explained that two men and one woman will feature in 10 kilometre races and a junior runner in the eight kilometre race for boys.

“We are expecting to send four runners including two men, one boy and a woman,” said Ndaweka.

According to Ndaweka, at least 27 runners have been register to compete in the national cross country event to take place on February 4 in Arusha Region to obtain only four athletes, who will represent the country in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Australia.

He said the winners of the national competition will start preparations soon after the event ahead of the Australia Championships.

In last year’s edition, African countries namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Morocco dominated the  event by winning top four positions.

Kenyan stars, Joshua Cheptegei who spent 31:40 minutes and Hellen Obiri who spent 36:14 minutes won the 10 kilometre event in both men and women.

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda who spent 31:44 minutes and Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya who spent 31:55 minutes captured the second and third place positions for men while Dera Dida of Ethiopia who spent 36:16 minutes and Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia who spent 36:24 minutes took the second and third place positions for women.

For the ‘junior’ boys, Ethiopian Milkesa Mengesha came out on top and Beatrice Chebet of Kenya took the first position for  the ‘junior’ girls.