Eliud Kipchoge’s coach explains why cross country is crucial for athletes
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 21.02.26. | 11:31
The tactician noted that the discipline lays a solid foundation for endurance, strength, and mental resilience
Eliud Kipchoge's coach, Patrick Sang, has explained the benefits of cross-country to any athlete who aspires to have a long and successful career.
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The tactician noted that the discipline lays a solid foundation for endurance, strength, and mental resilience; qualities that define champions who remain competitive for years.
Sang emphasized that many athletes with long careers have backgrounds in cross-country, citing Kipchoge as a prime example. According to him, competing in cross-country races equips athletes with the stamina and racing intelligence required to thrive on the track and road.
“Cross country has been a good foundation for athletes who have long-running careers. If you look at people who have long-running careers like Kipchoge, they ran cross country. For serious track athletes, cross country should be part and parcel of their resume,” he said.
The veteran coach also highlighted the importance of hosting high-level competitions locally, pointing to the Sirikwa Cross Country as a crucial platform for athletes to test themselves early in the season.
“Having the Sirikwa here was an opportunity for our athletes to express themselves. You have seen what Agnes and Simiu did coming out of the cross-country races,” he noted.
Recent seasons have provided strong evidence to back Sang’s argument.
Beatrice Chebet began her 2024 campaign with a series of cross-country races before defending her World Cross Country title in Belgrade. The strength she built during that period translated seamlessly to the track, where she broke the 10,000m world record in Eugene to qualify for her first Olympic Games.
Chebet went on to achieve a historic milestone at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win two gold medals at a single Olympic Games. She triumphed in both the 5000m and 10,000m, further cementing her status among the sport’s greats. In the process, she became only the second Kenyan woman to claim Olympic 5000m gold after Vivian Cheruiyot at Rio 2016.
Similarly, Faith Kipyegon opened her extraordinary 2023 season with victory at the Sirikwa Cross Country in Eldoret. That performance proved to be a springboard for a historic year in which she shattered the 1500m, 5000m, and one-mile world records before securing double gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Sang believes that beyond endurance, cross-country sharpens tactical awareness and strengthens athletes mentally, making it an essential ingredient for sustained excellence. He also suggested that the discipline could play a role in Kenya’s quest to reclaim dominance in the steeplechase.
“We appreciate that, and since we are talking about reclaiming steeplechase glory and all that, maybe steeplechase is the spark that we have been looking for,” he added.