Kenya ready to host first World Mountain Running ranking event in Africa

Saturday 16 November marks a special day for Kenya’s mountain running as the country hosts the first and only World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) ranking event to be staged in Africa.

The Mount Longonot Trail Challenge is set to gun off at 9:00 am, attracting some of the best Kenyan runners who have conquered the world elsewhere and are ready to defend their turf.

A star-studded list is led by 2021 World Cup and 2023 World champion Patrick Kipng’eno who wants to impress on home soil. Philemon Mbogo, the 2023 World Cup champion and the Golden Trail fourth-place finisher is also in the race.

The women’s field is headlined by two-time World Cup bronze medalist Philaris Kisang who is out to stamp her authority at home.

“So far 300 athletes have confirmed participation online but more are expected on Friday 15 November as the registration is continuing at the venue as we assign bib numbers.

While this is a ranking event for the elites, Athletics Kenya (AK) sees it as an opportunity to grow the discipline in the country with more grassroots athletes keen to participate,” AK executive member and veteran coach John Kimetto told Mozzart Sport.

The close to 12km long route with 770m uphill/750m downhill of elevation gain reveals a wonderful atmosphere, as it leads to the crater rim of Mt. Longonot, circles around it, and runs back to the finish line on a spectacular downhill route.

“The route is ready. The area has experienced a lot of rain and could be muddy at the start, nothing that a good show with proper grip cannot handle. We expect runners to have an easier trail higher up the elevation as it gets rocky, as characterized by volcanic mountains,” Kimetto explained.

While this is a WMRA event, Kimetto says many track athletes have registered as they build up for the new season that will see many chasing Tokyo 2025 World Championships qualification.

“This is a good race for anyone working on their endurance ahead of the new season,” he concluded.