By KPC Sports Reporter
A fortnight after winning the Discovery Cross Country in Eldoret, Maryam Lufti Njoki returns to the Sirikwa Classic on February 14 seeking a stronger finish.
The race will be held at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County, where Njoki hopes to build on her recent form as she prepares for the upcoming track season.
The athlete, who previously competed under the name Christine Njoki before switching allegiance to Qatar, last ran on the Sirikwa Classic course in 2023, finishing 12th.
Three years on, she believes greater experience will translate into a better result.
“I last ran on this course back in 2023 when I had little experience compared to now. I want to come and try my best this time and improve my position,” Njoki said.
She will be among several foreign-based runners contesting the women’s 10km race.
Also returning to the course is Catherine Reline, who has since changed her citizenship to Turkey and now competes under the name Can.
Njoki and Reline, who are still awaiting clearance from World Athletics, will face formidable opposition led by World Cross Country champion Agnes Jebet Ng’etich and Uganda’s World cross country silver medalist Joy Cheptoyek.
The quartet are among the leading contenders heading into the Valentine’s Day showdown, buoyed by strong performances in recent local and international competitions.
Cheptoyek will be joined by a strong Ugandan contingent that includes Scovia Chemutai, Martha Chemutai, and 2024 Chepsaita Cross Country champion Loice Chekwemoi.
Tanzania will also be represented in the women’s race by Valeria Daghau and Monica Zanele, adding to the depth of the East African field.
In the men’s race, Germany’s Hendrik Pfeiffer returns after competing last year, alongside Ukraine’s Mykola Nyzhnyk—who continues to race internationally despite the war in his homeland—South Africa’s Tshepo Mphulanyane, Uganda’s Leonard Ndiema, and other international contenders.