Kenya's cross country season starts in Machakos on Saturday 24 October
Athletics Kenya opens its 2026/27 season with the first Cross Country Weekend Meeting at Machakos Teachers Training College. Here are the races, how to register and when to collect bibs.
In short: The 1st Athletics Kenya Cross Country Weekend Meeting is on Saturday 24 October 2026 at Machakos Teachers Training College. There are races for under-18s, under-20s, seniors and a 2km loop. Athletes must register online and collect their bibs in person at the venue on Friday 23 October, 9am to 6pm.
Athletics Kenya (AK) will open the 2026/27 cross country season with the 1st AK Cross Country Weekend Meeting at Machakos Teachers Training College on Saturday 24 October. In its announcement, AK says the season is the start of "the road to Beijing", which hosts the World Athletics Championships from 10 to 19 September 2027.
The races
| Race | Distance |
|---|---|
| Under-18 girls | 4km |
| Under-18 boys | 6km |
| Under-20 women | 6km |
| Under-20 men | 8km |
| Senior men and women | 10km |
| Loop race, men and women | 2km |
How to take part
- Register: athletes must register online through AK's form: forms.gle/1noMXkDzNCaqKEzS8.
- Collect your bib in person: every athlete must personally collect their bib number at Machakos Teachers College on Friday 23 October, between 9am and 6pm.
A familiar starting line
Machakos has opened Kenya's cross country season before. In October 2023, Sandrafelis Chebet won the senior women's 10km in 34:02.6 and Vincent Mutai took the men's race in 29:39.1. In October 2024 at Machakos Teachers' College, Asbel Kiprop Kiprono and Maureen Chepkoech won the senior 10km races, according to Capital FM.
The meeting falls the day before the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on Sunday 25 October, so it is a big athletics weekend in and around Nairobi. Both are on the Pimeys race calendar, and we will publish the Machakos results after the race.