Kenyans make debut at Walk Racing Championships

Five Kenyans are in Muscat, Oman where they will participate in the World Race Walking Team Championships making a return after four years.

The event was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic then moved from Minsk last year. 

Three-time African champion Samuel Gathimba anchors the Kenyan squad that has four men and one woman under coach George Kariuki.

Gathimba will be joined in the 20km contest by Kenya Defence Forces' (KDF) Simon Wachira and 2017 World Under-18 10km race walk bronze medalist  Dominic Ndigiti while Africa Games women's gold medalist Emily Ngii will compete in the same distance in the women's category. 

Completing the quintet is World Under-20 men's champion Heristone Wanyonyi who will throw it down with his peers in the 10km race. 

This is the first time Kenya is sending a team to World Athletics Race Walking Championships and coach Kariuki is confident the opportunity will open morw doors for the race walkers. 

"It shows growth and this will be a great chance for the athletes to attain qualifications standards for World Athletics Championship later this year," said Kariuki.

Countries are supposed to sent five athletes in each category to the championship with three to score so Kenya will only have a team in the men's 20km contest.

The competition in Muscat starts on Friday 4 March with the U-20 men’s and women’s 10km races in the morning, followed by the women’s 20km in the afternoon. 

It continues on Saturday 5 March with the men’s and women’s 35km races in morning and the men’s 20km in the afternoon.

Speaking at the pre-event press conference, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said this was a key event for the elite race walkers of the world and it was important that it returned to the schedule this year, after it was first postponed in 2020 and then moved from Minsk last year.

“It has been four years since we last delivered a World Race Walking Team Championships, so we are delighted that Oman was able to step up and host this event, and I would like to thank the organising committee,” said Coe, adding that the bidding race for the 2024 and 2026 editions of this event was currently open.