As the Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Gold Tour kicks off on February 12, both local and foreign athletes will be seeking to win various medals.
Various athletes from various parts of the world will be arriving in the country and will be settling at The Lobo Village in Kapseret, Eldoret.
TeamKenya looks at some of the renowned names who will be featuring in the Gold Tour event.
Yemane Haileselassie.
Yemane Haileselassie is Eritrea’s national 3,000m steeplechase record holder and is set to feature in the 10km race.
In 2016 Haileselassie won the bronze in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Under- 20 Championship. He also featured in the 2017 London and 2019 Doha World Championship.
The 23-year-old athlete has also participated in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Antonio Abadía
Antonio Abadía from Spain is another notable name who will participate in the event for the senior men’s 10km race.
The 31-year-old was the 2017 European Cup champion in the 10km race.
The Spaniard was also the champion in the men's 5000 m in the European Team Championships 2017.
Vitaly Shafar
Another notable name will be Ukrainian Vitaly Shafar, who will take part in the senior men's 10km race.
The Ukrainian has had a challenging career after he was handed a ban in 2017 for alleged doping.
All of his results from April 17 2014 to January 2017 were also disqualified.
The Ukrainian joins fellow countrymates Yuliya Shmatenko and Victoria Kolchyk. Yuliya is also the silver champion in 5,000m at the 2017 European Team Championships.
Victoria Kolchyk will be taking part in the senior women’s 10km race.
Tokyo Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist, Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia, will also be a part of the team to grace the event.
In October 2021 World Athletics launched The Memorial Agnes Tirop Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour as one of the 20 events in the World Cross Country Tour.