World Under-20 3,000m champion Teresiah Gateri Muthoni has her work cut out ahead of the Memorial Agnes Tirop Cross Country Championships set for Saturday in Eldoret.

 The event set for Lobo Village will be the 12th Gold race in the World Cross Country Tour, and Muthoni says she is not short of confidence ahead of facing world beaters at home once again.

 “There is some kind of confidence that comes with winning a world title, it makes you feel you have abilities to face any obstacle without fear,” said Muthoni.

 Off the track, the Japan-based athlete has been making bold strides even winning her maiden senior women’s race at the cross country recently.

 Slightly over a week ago she stormed to victory at the 90th edition of the Cinque Mulini Cross Country Championships in San Vittore Olona, Italy.

 “I am enjoying my running, which is a sweet weapon to  have. I have done a number of cross country races which went well this season,” she added.

 Muthoni is going to the Lobo race having finished 17th in the senior women’s 10km race during the Lotto/Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships at the same venue.

Record holder

 “I know the course we’ll enough because I have competed there unlike most foreign athletes, and I know what to expect,” remarked the athlete who was last month named the Most Promising Girl during the 2021 Sports Personality of the Year Award (Soya) in Kakamega.

 During the world event she will be up against world record holder and Tokyo Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia who confirmed her participation earlier last month.

 Gidey holds world records in 5,000m (14:06.62), 10,000m (29:01.03) and half marathon (1:02:52).

 Others are 2015 World Cross Country Championships senior women’s silver medallist, Senbere Teferim, Dolshi Tesfu, Wilfred Mutile, Serkalem Mekonnen and Esther Chebet who lead the foreign stars.

Kenyan-born Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan, who is fresh from winning the Discovery Cross Country in Eldoret, and Ukrainian duo of former national 5,000m champion Yuliya Shmatenko and Victoria Kolchyk will also compete.

 According to the organisers, six other races will support the main men’s and women’s 10km races.

 They include the girls’ and boys’ 1km races, girls’ Under-18 5km and boys’ Under-18 km races and the  the women’s Under-20 6km and men’s Under-20 8km races.

 The women’s 10km race will start at 3pm with the men’s 10km race planned for 3.40pm.