Nairobi — World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) president Tomo Sarf believes Kenya can become a huge force in the sport, with the right investment and development.
Sarf says mountain running and Kenya is a match made in heaven and is hopeful the sport will grow in popularity across the country.
"Mountain running is a sport that is actually created for Kenya...for the landscape and the nature that is here. It is a sport that you can organise in every county and every region. You don't need complicated, expensive infrastructure. The future of mountain running is Kenya and I hope this is the start of a long term process," the president said.
Sarf is in Kenya to grace Saturday's Longonot Trail Challenge that will be held on Mount Longonot in Naivasha.
The one-day competition - organised by Athletics Kenya (AK) and Run2Gether Athletics Training Camp - will be a World Mountain Running ranking event with the chance for it to progress up the federation's rank of competitions.
Sarf is hopeful Kenya will organise more of such competitions to increase interest in the sports and enhance the country's standing on the global map.
"I have heard that there were other events held in the past like the Mount Kenya Mountain Run but I am sure the level of this one is higher. I am happy that AK is involved...the top runners are involved. When the race hosts world champions and the media is involved, the event gains a lot of interest and I hope Kenya continues to organise and host such kind of serious competitions," he said.
Sarf is looking forward to unforgettable memories on Saturday in what is his maiden trip to Kenya.
"This is a trip I have wanted to take for so many years and I am so happy to be here. Kenya is very strong when it comes to long distance running even though it was not really born here in Kenya. I am looking forward to the competition on Saturday and may the best athletes win," the president said.
Speaking at the same time, AK president Jack Tuwei expressed optimism the Longonot Trail Challenge is a precursor of a new dawn in the country.
"Kenya is blessed with so many locations where we can host mountain running events. We are very proud to be associated with the event and are looking forward to hosting the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in the future," Tuwei said.
He further underlined the federation's plan to empower local coaches in mountain running and enhance talent identification and development.
"We need to cover a much wider area in mountain running and get as much people as possible interested in the sport. For that, as AK, we will need to train more local coaches in mountain running so we can tap talent," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Competition categories include the 11.54km senior men and women's as well as a fun run.
The start and finish point will be at the gate of the Mount Longonot Park, with runners going all the way up to the summit before descending.
Among those already penned in to compete in this year's event include World Mountain and Trail Running champion Patrick Kipng'eno and his World Cup counterpart Philemon Kiriago.
