World Cross-Country schedule out

January 14

National Cross-country

March 26

World Cross-country

Ugandan runners will have to contend with an afternoon program at the World Cross-country Championships.

The world meet that will be hosted by Uganda on March 26 will have its first race at 2pm at Kololo Ceremonial ground.

This is in sharp contrast with what Ugandan runners are used to. Ugandan cross-countries start as early as 8am.

World Athletics governing body IAAf has released the race schedule for this year's edition.

According to the competition program released recently, action starts with the inaugural mixed relay.

In the 206th IAAF Council Meeting, held after the Rio Olympics, it was decided to add a mixed-gender relay race to the World Cross Country Championships schedule.

Second on the Kololo program will be a women's U-20 race flagged off at 2.30pm. Next is the men's U-20 event at 3.10pm.

This will be at 3.55pm be followed by the senior women's event. Next will be the day's climax-the senior men's 12 kilometer race at 4.55pm.

The IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running.

Uganda will be the fourth African country to stage the world meet.

Morocco hosted its first in 1995 before South Africa in 1996 and South Africa again in 1998. Next was Kenya in 2007.

In an incredible show of dominance, the senior men's team race has been won by Ethiopia or Kenya every year since 1981 in both the short and long races.

These nations have enjoyed a similar strangle-hold on the junior men's races since 1982. In the senior men's 12 km race, Kenya won the world championships for an astounding 18 years in a row, from 1986 through 2003, a record of unequaled international success.

Likewise on the women's side, only one other nation has won the long team race since 1991: Portugal, in 1994. These African nations were not quite so dominant in the short races, but they have won every women's junior race since its introduction in 1989.

ends