© Copyright – 2020 – Athletics Illustrated
Kip Keino’s name is iconic to the sport of athletics.
The World Athletics Continental Tour has a stop in his home country of Kenya. The City of Nairobi will be the host. Organizers announced Monday that the event will be named the Kipchoge Keino Classic—a smart marketing move and a deserving honour for the 79-year-old former athlete.
In January 2020, World Athletics named Nairobi as one of 10 cities that should be a stop on the new Continental Tour.
May 2, 2020, would have been the first event in Nairobi if it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic. September 26, 2020, is the new date.
The tour starts in Turku, Finland on Aug.11.
Keino won 1,500-metre gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. In the 1972 Munich Games, he won the 3,000m steeplechase. He went on to win several other medals during the Olympics, Commonwealth and African Games.
“The committee has settled on Kipchoge Keino Classic as the name of the Nairobi meet in honour of athletics legend,” event director Barnaba Korir said.”
Other stops on the tour include the Seiko Golden Grand Prix Tokyo, Japan, Nanjing Continental Nanjing, China, Ostrava Golden Spike Ostrava, Czech Republic, FBK Games Hengelo, Netherlands, Paavo Nurmi Games Turku, Finland, Racers Grand Prix Kingston, Jamaica, Gyulai István Memorial Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Chorzow, Silesia, Poland, Memorial Borisa Hanzekovica Zagreb, Croatia.
Other events may be added and are considered To Be Confirmed (TBC).
