Zakayo and Chelimo under no pressure ahead of Agnes Tirop World Cross country tour

World 5,000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo and 2018 World Under-20 5,000m champion Edward Zakayo are buoyant ahead of the Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Gold Tour due Saturday at the Lobo Village, Eldoret.

The duo who have competed on several occasions against the best at the big stage said they will not be under any pressure from the visitors.

“We shall take the challenge to them. Pressure will be on them,” said Chelimo.

Zakayo said he feels great to be back running having recovered from a back and hip joint injury.

“Pressure will only come from my rivals locally. It’s always like a world championships coming up against fellow Kenyans,” said Zakayo. “We understand our weather better than our visitors and we are conversant with the course having tested it during the nationals.”

Multiple world record holder, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey and two-time World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor have withdrawn from the competition according to the event organizers.

Tour director Barnaba Korir said Kamworor has been advised by his doctor to stay away from cross country events due to the injuries he sustained in an accident in 2020 while Gidey has not been given permission from home owing to the political situation in the country.

“Kamworor was eager to compete at home but he has been advised that he can only run on flat surfaces like on track or road races,Gidey on the other is around but won’t participate,she will be involved in some presentations though,” he said.

The inaugural cross country meet has been named Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour in honour of the fallen star who was found murdered in October last year at her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet.

The one-day invitational race will bring together a number of local and foreign athletes.

Tirop, who was stabbed to death last October, was a world cross country champion herself and also won two world 10,000m bronze medals in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

At the time of her death, the Kenyan also held the women’s only world record for the 10km.

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