UAF sets dates for National Mountain and Trail Running Championships

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) has set August 15 and 16 as the official dates for the National Mountain and Trail Running Championships.

Paul Okello, UAF Organising Secretary, says the two-day event will be held in Kapchorwa and is expected to attract over 400 athletes from various clubs across the country.

According to Okello, athletes will compete in several race categories, including the 6.5km uphill, 8km up-and-downhill, and a 14km trail race. The junior athletes will commence the championships with a 6.5 km and an 8km up-and-down hill, while the senior Category will summarise the event with a 14-kilometre Trail race.

He also noted that the event will serve as national trials to select a team that will represent Uganda at the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, scheduled for September 25 to 28 in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, in the Pyrenees Mountains.

Benjamin Njia, UAF Vice President, Technical and National Coach, expressed confidence that a competitive team will be selected from the championships. “We’ve encouraged coaches to focus their training schedules on helping athletes prepare specifically for the mountain competitions,” Njia said.

Oding Quinto, the manager and coach at Xurica Management Athletics, said their athletes are in the final stages of preparation and are aiming to deliver a strong performance in what is expected to be a highly competitive race.

Uganda has maintained a strong presence in international mountain running events and is expected to field a solid team for the global championships.

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