All eyes will be on Lobo Village in Eldoret this weekend as reigning World Cross Country champion Agnes Ng’etich headlines a stacked senior women’s field at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour.
Ng’etich returns as the defending champion and arrives in red-hot form following a sensational start to her 2026 season.
The long-striding star claimed her first global title at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10, clocking 31:28 to secure victory.
She unleashed a devastating finishing sprint to pull away from Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek (32:10) and Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (32:13).
The world champion will, however, face stern competition from rising Kenyan talent Maurine Chebor, setting the stage for what promises to be an explosive contest.
Ng’etich dominated last year’s Sirikwa Classic, winning in 32:42 ahead of Janeth Chepng’etich (33:52) and Miriam Kibet (34:09).
Her 2025 season was equally impressive, highlighted by a women-only 10km world record of 29:27 at the Adidas Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
Chebor, who finished eighth (33:06) at the World Championships in Florida, may not have had the smoothest start to 2026 but built strong momentum throughout 2025.
She placed second at the National Cross Country Championships in February (34:33) before switching to the roads, winning the Nijmegen 5km in 15:01 and clocking 14:40 for third place in Tokyo.
On the track, Chebor posted solid performances, finishing second in the 5,000m at the Kip Keino Classic (15:14.57) and later running 15:00.09 for third at the FAST5000 in Laffitte, France.
She capped her year by winning the National Cross Country title in Eldoret on October 25 in 34:17 to book her ticket to Florida.
Beyond the Ng’etich–Chebor duel, Lilian Kasait, the 2019 African 5,000m bronze medallist, will be eager to challenge for honours. Kasait enjoyed a productive 2025, winning half marathons in Prague (1:05:27) and New Delhi (1:07:20).
National 5,000m champion Rebecca Mwangi is also in the mix, seeking redemption after finishing 16th at the World Championships earlier this year in 33:55.
