Lilian Odira, Daniel Simiu lead star cast for National Cross Country showdown
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 23.10.25. | 14:36
Odira, fresh from her global triumph on the track, will look to extend her dominance to the grass circuit in the women’s 2km race
World 800m champion Lilian Odira and world 1,500m bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot will headline the 2km loop contests as the country’s elite runners assemble for the National Cross Country Championships at the Eldoret Sports Club on Saturday.
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Saturday’s high-stakes showdown will also double up as Athletics Kenya’s selection trials for the World Cross Country Championships set for Saturday, 10 January, in Tallahassee, Florida, with coveted places in Team Kenya up for grabs.
Odira, fresh from her global triumph on the track, will look to extend her dominance to the grass circuit in the women’s 2km race, while Cheruiyot’s tactical brilliance makes him the clear favourite in the men’s equivalent. Both athletes will aim to sharpen their endurance and speed ahead of a busy 2026 season.
Meanwhile, all eyes in the senior men’s 10km category will be on 2023 world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, who returns to Eldoret seeking to reclaim his national title and cement his place in the Florida-bound team.
At last season’s edition held on the same course on February 8, Simiu produced a commanding performance, clocking 30:48 to seize the crown ahead of Nickson Kogei (30:53) and Simon Mungai (30:56).
Since then, the star runner has been in superb cross-country form. After retaining his national title earlier this year, he captured the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour-Gold crown a fortnight later, stopping the clock at 29:57 to outlast Gideon Rono (30:07) and Nicholas Kipkorir (30:15).
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However, Simiu heads into Saturday’s contest with redemption on his mind following a disappointing outing at the Chicago Marathon on October 12, where he finished 13th in 2:07:52.
Looking to challenge Simiu’s dominance will be 20-year-old rising star Silas Senchura, who has been in blistering form after a stellar win at the AK Roysambu Cross Country, clocking 30:25 in the men’s 10km.
Also in contention are half-marathon specialist Alex Matata, chasing his maiden appearance in national colours, and NCAA 10,000m champion Ishmael Rokito, who recently made his World Championships debut in Tokyo.
In the women’s senior race, last year’s silver medallist Maurine Chebor will aim to go one better and strike gold. She enters the nationals in fine form after winning the Machakos leg of the AK Cross Country Circuit in 30:37.
Her closest rival will likely be Diana Wanza, who claimed top honours at the Roysambu Cross Country in 35:35.
“I’ll sit down with my coach, assess my strengths and weaknesses, and work on them. The goal is to be at my best for the nationals,” Wanza said after her win.
Adding further depth to the women’s field are Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon champion Rebecca Mwangi, New Delhi Half Marathon winner Lilian Kasait, Caren Chebet, Sandrafelis Chebet, and Gladys Kwamboka, all determined to secure their tickets to Florida.
The boys’ U20 8km race also promises fireworks, with World U20 5,000m champion Andrew Alamisi set to face off against Kelvin Kiprop and Emmanuel Lemiso.
Lemiso enters the competition high on confidence after winning the Roysambu U20 race in 24:13.
“You must work hard to get results. I ran a smart race, and I hope to win again at the nationals,” he remarked.
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