All set for National Mountain Race Championships in Kapchorwa

MOUNTAIN | RACE | CHAMPIONSHIP

KAPCHORWA - Hundreds of athletes have registered to take part in the 2022 edition of the National Mountain Race Championships due on Saturday (October 1) in Kapchorwa district.

Registration ends on the eve (Friday).

Organised by Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), the championships will include junior and senior levels for men and women.

Faustino Kiwa, a UAF official said: “Juniors must show proof of age by either Primary Leaving Education (PLE) result slips, passport, birth certificate or national ID."

The course to be used is the recently completed 12.5km Kapchorwa-Teryet Road.

In the buildup, UAF vice-president in charge of technical, Benjamin Njia, said the course route might be changed this time round.

This could see athletes begin the race up from Teryet national high-performance centre, down to Kapchorwa town for finishing.

This edition will not feature the master’s category – which caters for older runners, such as 55-year-old marathoner Patrick Chemonges.

“We considered some few changes which are all meant for the good of the game while some of them were caused by unavoidable circumstances,” said Njia.

In 2021, Jacob Kiplimo was a cut above the rest when he clocked 41:30.3, his personal record time to win the coveted competition.

Kiplimo, fresh from becoming the first Ugandan to win the Great North Run in the UK may not participate this year due to exhaustion.

In the last edition that drew some 500 female competitors, Annet Chelangat Chemengich emerged champion in the women's category, clocking 51:10.2.

Fresh from representing her Uganda Wildlife Authority team at the 2022 Inter-forces Games in Bombo, Chemengich is a doubt.

Nonetheless, a determined group of athletes will battle on the track for top honours.

Finishers within the medal brackets will be in pole position to represent Uganda at the continental mountain race and the World Mountain Running Championships.