On short notice, Mbale Golf Course has approved hosting the National Cross Country, which came earlier than expected, with World Cross Country Champion Jacob Kiplimo returning to action since winning the Chicago Marathon.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, with Under 20 and Seniors of both genders participating. The event had been expected to take place next year.
Over 1000 athletes are expected to take part in the Cross Country, which was pulled closer to enable Uganda Athletics to select the national team for the World Cross Country, which is to take place in Florida, United States, on January 10.
With Kiplimo looking for a third consecutive gold medal in the World Cross Country to make the historical treble, the star is expected to lead a team of 26 Ugandans that will be selected from the race in Mbale.
Speaking on the cause, Uganda Athletics President Dominic Otucet noted, “We are very proud of Mbale Golf Club for allowing the National Cross Country on short notice. This race is the core behind Uganda Athletics’ top performances, especially in long distances.”
As they are getting ready to select the team for the next year’s World Cross Country, which comes early in January, we are forced to get the 2026 National Cross Country before the end of this year. In America, we are plotting to take a full team, and with this early engagement, it is a tool in securing travel documents in time,” he added.
In the past two years, Uganda has won 9 medals from the World Cross Country, five last year in Belgrade and four in Bathurst, with Kiplimo winning a gold medal on both occasions as he continues his World Cross Country gold tally to four, including one from Juniors in 2017 in Kampala.
For Mbale, having taken a while without a prominent runner, it is remarkable that once upon a time, Mbale was a key area in Uganda Athletics history, producing the likes of Catherine Wambombesa and Paul Wakou in the 1990s and early 2000s.
With the 32nd National Cross Country, the Uganda Athletics Federation is highly anticipating rediscovering Mbale’s lost glory by finding new Athletics talents from the Bugisu Areas.
