Mbale Golf Course has hosted this year’s unusually early National Cross Country Championships, an adjustment made to accommodate the tight schedule ahead of the 2026 World Cross Country Championships set for 10 January in Florida, USA.
Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) President Dominic Otuchet said the national calendar had to be moved forward because the traditional selection window would be unavailable in the new year.
“On the 5th and 6th of January, our team will already be leaving for Florida. That means we don’t have time,” he explained. “We had to bring the 2026 National Cross Country Championships forward.”
This is the first time Mbale Golf Course is hosting the annual championships, ending Tororo’s seven-year run as host. Otuchet expressed appreciation for Tororo Golf Course’s long-standing partnership but said circumstances necessitated a new venue.
“Mbale embraced us at very short notice, and we appreciate that,” he said.
He added that the decision also aligns with the region’s strong heritage in distance running.
“We have brought national cross-country running closer to where the majority of the athletes are,” he noted.
Otuchet, who jokingly calls himself a “Mukwasi” (in-law) to the region, referenced past athletics icons from Bugisu and Sebei—including Catherine Webombesa, Paul Wakou of Budadiri, and Olympian Jane Suuto—emphasising the area’s history of producing world-class talent.
“This place has talent. They only need the right orientation that the Sebei have received, and we shall get more athletes emerging from here,” he said. He encouraged communities from Mbale, Sironko, Bulambuli, Bududa, Manafwa and Namisindwa to prioritise developing young runners.
Isaac Hanyiga Koire, coordinator of the Mbale team, said the two-week notice made preparations difficult compared to athletes who have been undergoing structured training for months.
“Building momentum, endurance and speed work in just two weeks is quite difficult,” he said.
Despite this, he praised his team’s performance, especially in the Under-20 and Senior Women categories, noting that Mbale’s athletes are naturally strong middle-distance runners and sprinters.
“We brought them here to gain exposure and rub shoulders with World Championships athletes. It helps them understand their fitness levels and what they need to improve. I appreciate UAF for bringing this event to Mbale,” he added.
The event attracted teams from across Uganda, including Kanungu, West Nile, Yumbe and Kabale. Otuchet said he was pleased to see young talent—including a promising runner from Yumbe he had mentored—competing at a national level.
To enhance long-term development, UAF introduced an under-15 race as a curtain-raiser to allow early talent identification.
“World Athletics doesn’t allow under-15s at the World Championships, but for talent identification, this is important,” he said.
Uganda heads into the 2026 World Championships with strong momentum following medal-winning performances in Belgrade (2024), Bathurst (2023), and a record six-medal haul in Aarhus, Denmark (2019).
“This time, our plan in Florida is to better that,” Otuchet said.
He also expressed confidence in Jacob Kiplimo’s bid to defend his senior men’s world title and become the first Ugandan to win back-to-back gold medals.
UAF will now name Team Uganda, expected to feature some of the country’s strongest distance runners.
“Ugandans should continue supporting athletics. We are set to continue winning medals for the country,” Otuchet said.