Mawia shifts focus on national X-Country trials after dominating the world

Lucy Mawia captured a commanding victory at the 40th Cross Internacional de la Constitución, the seventh Gold meeting in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday.

This was the third victory for Mawia who has had a dominant presence in the tour and in winning in Alcobendas, she improved on her performance from last year in the same event where she had settled for second place.

Man charged with conning banned marathon runner Lonyangata

With Athletics Kenya (AK) having decided to hold a national trial for the team that will represent Kenya at the World Cross Country Championships, Mawia says she has shifted her focus to the said event set for December 10 at Kenya Prisons Training College.

“I am quite satisfied with my third win this season. I feel much more comfortable on cross country than on the track,” said the 23-year-old Mawia, who also claimed victories in Bydgoszcz and Soria.

“After my European tour of four races, I now return to my country to contest the Kenyan trials for the World Cross Country Championships.”

AK say visa application timelines for travel to Australia as guided by World Athletics are stringent with the deadline to apply set to be on 11 December.

“Australia visa processing takes at least two months. This has necessitated AK to change the dates of the previous Cross-Country calendar. The 5th AK Cross Country weekend meet that was earlier scheduled to take place on Saturday 10 December, has been moved to Saturday 3 December at the same venue. All athletes are encouraged to participate,” AK’s statement reads.

It continued, “AK has introduced the Trials for the World Cross Country Championships. This event will take place on Saturday 10 December at Kenya Prisons Training College in Ruiru. Participation will be strictly on invitation. Athletes will be sampled from all the five cross-country weekend meetings and other international competitions.”

The trials will include the events in 2km senior women and men, 6km U-20 women and 8km for men as well as 10km senior category. The first six athletes to cross the finish line, will be automatically selected while the next two will be selected as reserves.

The 2km senior women and men events will be used to select the mixed relay team. The first three athletes to cross the finish line will be automatically selected while positions four and five make the reserve team.