Athletics Kenya (AK) has announced an early start for this year’s Betika Cross Country Challenge, moving the season opener from October to August to better prepare athletes for the 2026 World Cross Country Championships.
In a statement, the federation confirmed that the adjustment to the 2025–2026 calendar is aimed at ensuring Team Kenya is in peak form ahead of the global event, which will take place on January 10, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
“To ensure that Kenyans are well prepared for this important event, Athletics Kenya (AK) has adjusted its 2025–2026 cross country calendar,” the statement read.
“Sponsored by Betika na Community, the cross country season will start earlier than usual to give athletes enough time to train, compete, and be selected in good form ahead of the World Championships.”
The Betika Cross Country Challenge will kick off on August 9 at Machakos Teachers’ Training College, followed by county-level championships scheduled for August 23.
The second leg of the series will take place on September 6 at the Ol Kalau Arboretum in Nyandarua County. Thereafter, AK’s regional branches and affiliated institutions will hold their respective championships in late September.
Read Also: AK Names Star-Studded Team for Tokyo World Championships
The National Cross Country Championships will be held at Eldoret Sports Club in October, serving as the final domestic meet before Kenya selects its team for the World Championships.
At last year’s edition of the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Team Kenya topped the medal table with an impressive haul of 11 medals—six gold, two silver, and three bronze.
Kenya remains the most decorated nation in the competition’s history, having amassed 335 medals since the inaugural edition in 1981 in Madrid, Spain.