Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run 2025 Kicked Off under Theme ‘Run For Education’
Kibet also stressed fair play, warning the runners against drugs. He insisted that the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) will be conducting tests
The 2025 edition has another milestone with the elevation of the race to a World Athletics Cross Country Championships Gold Tour event.
By Mercy Chelangat
September 4, 2025 in Turbo Sub County, Uasin Gishu, paving the way for the international athletics event to be hosted on December 6, 2025 at Chepkemel Secondary School. The 2025 edition will run under the theme “Run for Education” and organizers have promised that high-grade competition will be combined with broad community engagement.
The 2025 edition has another milestone with the elevation of the race to a World Athletics Cross Country Championships Gold Tour event. The accreditation positions Chepsaita among the world-class competitions on the world athletics calendar, and Kenya’s top runners and the wider East Africa region as well as the rest of the world.
Race director Barnaba Korir has confirmed that preparations are underway and the route already demarcated with minor variations from last year’s track. “This year’s race will be more, better, and stronger. We are focusing on talent development and supporting access to education through sport. The run is more than a race; it is a mission,” he said.
Scholarships and Community Support
When exiting the Chepkemel Dispensary Grounds, race sponsor Farouk Kibet explained that the proceeds from the race would go into scholarships and social events in the host town. “By God’s grace, this year will be bigger and better. Last year Great Chepsaita Cross Country sponsored value KSh 16 million and this year we want to give more than KSh 20 million scholarships,” Kibet explained.
In addition to the scholarship, organizers will also invest in developing the infrastructure of the community, including road widening, electricity, and the capacity to access clean water. The event will award more than KSh 20 million worth of cash prize money in 12 races with 2,000 runners per main category allowed.
Good Turnout Expected
Organizers hope to attract over 10,000 contenders, ranging from school children to global champion athletes. There’s something for everybody, from 500-metre sprints for children to the women’s and men’s 10-kilometre, making it the most diverse sporting carnival in the nation.
We have to have the merge of sports and education and this is only possible if people come together and build their homes. Nationwide and worldwide we have to fight with the world in general because at the end of the day we must have a strong society,” responded Kibet.
Integrity Protection
Kibet also stressed fair play, warning the runners against drugs. He insisted that the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) will be conducting tests during the race. “Athletes have to run a clean race without performance-enhancing drugs,” he added, stating that honesty will be at the center of the race’s growing global reputation.
Beyond the Finish Line
The 2025 festival will further be characterized by a succession of side-by-side competition-based community programs. These include a medical camp through which the locals will be provided with free check-ups and health advice, a tree-planting campaign to enhance ecological sustainability, and a Hustlers Bazaar through which the local businesspeople will be accorded the chance to launch their products to thousands of attendees.
Chepsaita, across the county border between Uasin Gishu and Nandi, has long been a cradle of long-distance running champions. The people responsible for the Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run believe the event is not only cementing the position but also improving the community through education.
Looking Ahead
Since being launched in 2023, the race has developed quickly in stature, from a national event to a bronze label and now a Gold Label event within three years. With the countdown continuing to December 6, this year’s race is expected to be more competitive, more diverse, and more socially pertinent than ever.
“Mark your date and come for a run that goes beyond the finishing line. It’s a talent run, an education run, and a change run,” Kibet urged.
Registration is held in October 2025, with runners, supporters, and education stakeholders gathering in Chepsaita for what will be a historic celebration of sport, education, and community spirit.
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