Dar es Salaam — AT least seven Tanzanian runners are expected to be in action today as the 17th edition of the Africa Senior Athletics Championship gets underway at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Athletics Tanzania (AT) Secretary General, Suleiman Nyambui told the 'Daily News' on Tuesday that the athletes are in good shape and eagerly look forward for today's event.

He named those whose disciplines are listed on Wednesday as 100-metre men and women short distance runners Mussa Mlekwa, Lisa Matonya and Yasin Muhidin. Najma George has been registered in the women category.

Commonwealth medalist Fabian Joseph alongside Joseph David will attempt the men's 10,000-metres medals rush, in what has been billed as the clash of the titans.

Kenya will be represented by Wilson Kiprop, Geoffrey Mutai and Mathew Kisorio. Uganda will miss Boniface Kiprop, but will be represented by Geoffrey Kusuro, Abraham Kiplimo and Moses Kipsiro.

Ethiopia have Olympic silver medallist Sileshi Sihine and Tariku Bekele as the majority refer to it as 'a must see race on the opening day of the championships'.

Tanzania has sent a 24-strong squad for the African meet which is expected to wind up on August 1. Nyambui said over the phone that 800-metres men's runner, Frank Martin, will also be vying for top honour in the first round of the discipline shortly after the opening ceremony in the afternoon.

Hosts Kenya and Ethiopia will be all out to cement their legendary rivalry during the championships, alongside Eritreans and South Africa.

Over the years, the two East African neighbouring athletics power-houses have dominated long distance running globally in a show of enmity akin to that of Jamaica and America in the sprints.

In fact it is whispered that the two nations contributed highly to the diminished interest among nations in the World Cross Country Championship that they dominated like the proverbial colossus, which has since assumed biennial status.

Ethiopia competed at home during the last edition before a frenzied home crowd. This time around it's Kenya's turn to compete under home support.