Letting eyeing more success in next year's Discovery Kenya Cross Country

Discovery Kenya Cross Country, regarded as the most prestigious cross-country competition in the country made a bold comeback on Sunday, January 28 2024 at the Eldoret Sports Club. The competition marked its 33rd year since its inception.

Just like other editions, the sole intention of this year’s event was to identify and nurture athletic talents.

With the competition having nurtured some of the biggest names in athletics including Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon, Ezekiel Kemboi, and Isaiah Kosgei just to mention a few, the eyes of the athletic world fell on the Eldoret Sports Club over the weekend.

The event's organizer David Letting expressed immense satisfaction with the triumph of this year's edition as it successfully brought together an influx of athletes and sponsors.

Letting who is a former athlete has been organizing the event since it roared to life.

"I am happy. The race has been successful. We had more than 2,700 athletes turning up to compete. We even had a two-year-old completing the 500m race meaning that in the next 17 years, the kid will be a champion," he stated.

He went ahead to explain that most of the athletes flying the country's flag high were discovered at the event. Daniel Komen, for instance, ran his first 2km race at the Discovery Kenya.

Komen currently holds the world record in the 3000 meters with a time of 7:20.67 set in 1996.

Kemboi, Reline emerge victorious in Discovery Kenya Cross Country

With his 7.58.61 world best in the 2-mile race set in 1997, he is one of two men in history to run back-to-back miles at a sub-four-minute mile pace. Komen's splits were 3:59.4 on the race's first and second half.

"Daniel Komen ran the 2km race here at the Discovery Kenya, and he won. His talent was nurtured and up to date, his record has never been broken. If we continue naming the athletes who have been discovered at this event, we'll stay here for a long time," he revealed.

Letting further extended sincere thanks to the sponsors for holding his hand and making the event a success. He also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the thousands of athletes who turned up.

"The event was very successful. We had big numbers and lots of athletes, and I thank them all, including all our sponsors," he averred.

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With the success of the 33rd edition now behind him, the coach promised athletics fans bigger and better editions in the subsequent years. The next edition will be held on January 26, 2025.

"Last Sunday of January 2025 we look forward to a bigger and better event," he concluded.

Cornelius Kemboi and Catherine Reline won the senior men's and women's categories of the event in 29:24:2 and 26:31:5 respectively.

Matthew Kipchoech and Ivy Jepchirchir carried the day in the senior men's and women's categories after finishing the course in 24:40:3 and 20:22:6 in that order.