Eldoret Sports Club is set to host the 2025 Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships on Saturday, after a venue switch from the Kenya Prisons Training College.

So far, some 500 elite and emerging athletes will compete in the prestigious event.

The competition follows the thrilling AK Cross Country Series and will feature three key race categories, including the senior 10km and Under-20 races (8km for men, 6km for womenand a 2km loop race for both men and women), with revamped prize money designed to motivate the country’s best distance runners.

Ahead of the weekend meet, AK will conduct a rigorous verification process of all athletes who have qualified for the Championship on Friday.

During the verification exercise, the athletics body would confirm a number of factors before clearing the athletes to compete in the national championship.

“Athletics camp coaches, directors and officials will use the competition to select and sign potential athletes,” AK Nyanza North secretary general Thomas Ogwacho told People Sports in a past interview.

For the weekend showdown, the senior 10km races set to take home Sh200,000, while second and third-place finishers will pocket Sh130,000 and Sh100,000 respectively. Those finishing between fourth and tenth place will receive between Sh70,000 and Sh10,000.

In a bid to enhance the experience for athletes and spectators, this year’s edition will feature an afternoon schedule, allowing for pre-race entertainment and a medical camp before the main events.

In the U-20 category, the champion will earn Sh140,000, with runners-up and third-place finishers taking home Sh90,000 and Sh70,000 respectively.

The 2km loop race will also offer Sh50,000 for the winner, Sh40,000 for second place and Sh30,000 for third place.
The event follows a successful Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series, which saw six intense legs in Machakos, Kapsokwony, Iten, Olkalou, Bomet and Kisii. It also comes after the Kenya Prisons, KDF, and Kenya Police Forces Championships, as well as the regional qualifiers.

AK has hailed Betika for its continued partnership, which extends to both Cross Country and track and field events.