IAAF introduce new race in Kampala event

A new race featuring both men and women will be one of the highlights of next year's World Cross-country in Kampala.

The eight kilometer relay is one of the innovations of world athletics governing body IAAF.

This event now makes it five races from four that constitute the biennial event's program.

"The relay will have each of the two men and women running a two kilometer lap," explained Uganda Athletics Federation president Domenic Otuchet.

This is the first time that not only a mixed event, but also a relay is being included in IAAF's schedule.

The relay will be first run at each of continental cross-country championships next month. Uganda will feature in the African meet in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Changes in the cross-country program include standardization of both the seniors' races to 10km.

Initially the men ran 12km, four more than the women. The four lap event will now remain a juniors' event.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 2017 event resumed after the Christmas break. A secretariat for the event has opened at the National Council of Sports Lugogo headquarters.

"UAF Administrator Timothy Masaba will relocate to Lugogo. He will later team up with other full time staff, recruited specifically for the world meet," stated Otuchet.

Uganda becomes the fourth African country to stage the event after Morocco (1975, 1998), South Africa (1996) and Kenya (2007) to host the world meet.

The 42nd edition of the event will be staged at the National Ceremonial Grounds, Kololo.

The Ugandan capital won the right to stage the competition after winning a vote against the Brunei city of Manama in 2014.