AK announces new changes to Betika cross country calendar ahead of 2026 World Championships
This year’s competition will begin on August 9 at the Machakos Teachers’ Training College, before athletes congregate at their respective counties for the county championships on August 23
Athletics Kenya (AK) have brought forward this year’s edition of the Betika Cross Country Challenge to begin next month, rather than October as has been the case in previous editions.
The federation said the series will start earlier to enable athletes better prepare for next year’s World Cross Country Championships, set for January 10 in Tallahassee, Florida in the United States.
“To ensure that Kenyans are well prepared for this important event, Athletics Kenya (AK) has adjusted its 2025-2026 cross country calendar. Sponsored by Betika na Community, the cross country season will start earlier than usual to give athletes enough time to train, competed and be selected in good form ahead of the World Championships,” AK said in a statement.
Subsequently, this year’s competition will begin on August 9 at the Machakos Teachers’ Training College, before athletes congregate at their respective counties for the county championships on August 23.
The Betika Cross Country Challenge then resumes on September 6 at the Ol Kalau Arboretum in Ol Kalau for the second leg.
Three weeks later, attention shifts to AK’s regional and affiliates, each of which are expected to hold their respective championships.
The national championships follows thereafter at the Eldoret Sports Club on October, making it the last local event before the World Cross Country Championships.
At the global competition, Team Kenya will be out to maintain the overall title they clinched at the last year’s edition in Belgrade, Serbia, where they scooped 11 medals (six gold, two silver and three bronze).
Kenya are also the most successful country in the history of the competition, having won 335 medals since the first edition in 1981 in Madrid, Spain.
