Nairobi — After earning money at the Kabarak University, Iten women's Road Race and Baringo half marathon, runners have another chance of collecting cash prizes at the 14th edition of the Discovery Kenya cross-country set for the Eldoret Sports Club on Sunday.

The top ten runners in the conventional events will get cash awards ranging from Sh 10,000 for the winner and Sh 1,000 for tenth position. There will be special prizes for children under 14 years who will run special races.

Nike International will sponsor the event for the second year after taking over from Italian sports apparel makers Fila who had sponsored it since 1992 when the meet was controversially founded by two-time Boston Marathon winner Moses Tanui.

Among the prominent runners who launched their international careers from here include: world 3,000 metres record holder Daniel Komen, former world 5,000m champions Richard Limo and Eliud Kipchoge and former Boston marathon winner Robert Cheruiyot.

Women who made it from here include former world 10,000 metres champion Sally Barsosio and Lydia Cheromei who became the youngest athlete to win a world cross country title when she won at the age of 16 years.

The organisers expect this year's participants to hit the 3,000 mark considering the number of runners taking part in the meet has been rising each year. In 2004, the event attracted 1,653 runners and last year 2,400 athletes took part.

Many of the runners set for the North Rift provincial cross-country championship at Nandi Bears Club in Nandi Hills, are expected to run at the Discovery race.

Nike International European representative John Capriotti is expected during the Sunday race where Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat will be the chief guest.

The categories to be run are for boys and girls under 10 years who will run 500m, the 12-year-old girls will run 1km while boys run 2km. 14-year-old girls will run 3km and boys 4km. Last year's winner of the 6km junior women's race was Pauline Korkwang of West Pokot. The world cross country junior men's champion Augustine Choge is the defending men's champion.