The Tuskys Wareng Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in November near

Eldoret Eldoret is a principal town in the Rift Valley region of Kenya and serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. The town was referred to by white settlers as Farm 64, 64 and colloquially by locals as 'Sisibo'. As per the 2019 Kenya Population ...

in Kenya. The name is derived from the sponsor, Tuskys Supermarket, which is based in Wareng County. The event was inaugurated in December 2006 with its soft grassy course located in the Huruma area four kilometres west of the centre of Eldoret (a town renowned for

long-distance running Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

). The first edition was known as the ''Tuskermatt Cross Country'', but this changed to its current title the year after. The competition's programme of events comprised two senior races (men's 12 km and women's 8 km) and two junior races (boy's 8 km and girl's 6 km). The competition quickly attracted a high number of top level runners in the region and by 2008 the senior men's race alone garnered some 250 entries. It developed into one of the major Kenyan annual races and

Kipchoge Keino Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a lon ...

, head of Kenyan Olympic Committee, was present that year. Although the event attracts almost exclusively Kenyan runners, the calibre of the competitors is very high, such is the country's strength internationally. World Cross Country champions

Emily Chebet Emily Chebet Muge (born 18 February 1986) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specialises in the 10,000 metres and cross country running. She is a two-time winner of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, being the gold medall ...

and Vivian Cheruiyot have both won the competition, while the men's side has been won by world half marathon champion Wilson Kiprop, World Cross runner-up

Moses Mosop Moses Cheruiyot Mosop (born 7 July 1985) is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He has also been suc ...

, and World Cross team medallist Hosea Macharinyang.Macharia, David (2009-11-29)
Macharinyang back to fitness
IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-27. Among those to have won the junior races, Leonard Komon,

Mercy Cherono Mercy Cherono Koech (born 7 May 1991) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She was the silver medalist in the 5000 metres at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. She is a two-time world junior champion in the 3000 metres (2008, ...

Daniel Salel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

and Purity Cherotich Rionoripo have gone on to win World Junior Cross Country medals.

Past race winners

References

{{Athletics in Kenya Cross country running competitions Athletics competitions in Kenya Sport in Rift Valley Province Eldoret Recurring sporting events established in 2006 Cross country running in Kenya Annual sporting events in Kenya 2006 establishments in Kenya