The world cross country team returns home this morning as Kenyans await an explanation over the poor performance recorded by the team for the first time in 17 years.

Although cross country is basically a team sport, Kenyans, who are accustomed to victory at individual levels, have been irked by the failure of the senior men's team to win the individual crown they last held in 2000. Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele took the crown together with the senior men's short course title.

For the first time women saved Kenya's face after Edith Masai and Viola Kibiwott won the senior and junior women's titles respectively, leaving the men in the three categories to settle for lesser positions.

Kenya was expected to give a good showing especially after training in ideal conditions in Embu, which is on the foot of Mt Kenya. The return of coach Mike Kosgei did not yield the good performance Kenyans expected as the men settled for the bronze through Wilberforce Talel in the long course event.

However, the coach is not to blame entirely as all the athletes belong to different camps and are accustomed to different training methods. They only trained as a team for a month.

The Armed Forces athletes who have traditionally provided the bulk of cross country runners were missing on the line-up with the exception of Sammy Kipketer.

Until this year, Armed Forces produced world class cross-country runners in the mold of John Ngugi, Paul Tergat, Moses Tanui, William Sigei, Ismael Kirui, the late Paul Kipkoech and Richard Chelimo, to mention just a few.

They enhanced the team spirit aspect as they remained in their respective units, said one retired athlete from Eldoret who did not wish to be named.

In comparision, women continue operating solo and they very much fit in the picture not only in cross country but marathon running as well.

On the same weekend Susan Chepkemei won the Lisbon Half-Marathon again after withdrawing from the cross-country team.

Masai, 34, realised a dream when she won her first ever major title in her 12-year career, an improvement from the bronze which she won last year.

For her exploit, Masai will come home $34,000 (Sh2.66 million) richer.