NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya will host the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on May 13 after staging the first three editions.

Dubbed the Kip Keino Classic – after Kenyan athletics legend Kipchoge Keino – the one-day event is expected to attract hundreds of athletes from around the world to compete across different categories of track and field competitions.

The Nairobi leg will be preceded by the Bostwana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone, which is one of three additional events to the Continental Tour Gold calendar – the others including Grenada and Melbourne.

The past three editions of the Kip Keino Classic have produced some of the most memorable moments in global athletics in recent years despite the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was at the second edition of the event at Moi Stadium, Kasarani, two years ago, that Ferdinand Omanyala timed an African record of 9.77 in the men’s 100m, after finishing second to American Trayvon Bromell who won in 9.76.

The Commonwealth Games 100m champion went one better at the third edition of the competition when he came first in the same race, outwitting American Fred Kerley who would later become the world champion at the World Championships in Oregon.

The one-day competition has also attracted many elite athletes from far and wide including former Olympic champion Justin Gaitlin of the United States, women’s world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, Olympic 100m champion Lamont Jacobs of Italy, Olympic 200m silver medalist Christine Mboma of Namibia and American, Olympic 200m silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek.

Gold level meetings in the 2023 World Athletics Continental Tour

23 February – Maurie Plant Meet, Melbourne (AUS)
22 April – Grenada Invitational, St. George’s (GRN)
29 April – Botswana Golden Grand Prix, Gaborone (BOT)
13 May – Kip Keino Classic, Nairobi (KEN)
21 May – Seiko Golden Grand Prix, Yokohama (JPN)
21 May – USATF Bermuda Grand Prix, Devonshire (BER)
27 May – Los Angeles Grand Prix, Los Angeles (USA)
4 June – FBK Games, Hengelo (NED)
6 June – Irena Szewinska Memorial, Bydgoszcz (POL)
13 June – Paavo Nurmi Games, Turku (FIN)
24 June – USATF NYC Grand Prix, New York (USA)
27 June – Ostrava Golden Spike, Ostrava (CZE)
18 July – Gyulai Istvan Memorial, Budapest (HUN)
8-10 September – Memorial Borisa Hanzekovica, Zagreb (CRO)