Two-time Athletics Kenya (AK) Tinderet Barng’etuny Mountain Run champion Janeth Chepng’etich is setting her sights on a historic third consecutive title when the race returns on January 16.

Speaking on Sunday at Lion Hill Farm in Nandi County after receiving the heifers she won in the 2024 and 2025 editions, Chepng’etich said the event provides the ideal launchpad for her season.

“The Barng’etuny Mountain Run is a great way to start the season,” she said. “Having won it twice, my target is a third title in January to test my fitness ahead of a busy 2027.”

Winners of the annual event receive Sh500,000 alongside a heifer.

Beyond mountain running, the versatile track and road specialist is targeting a spot in Kenya’s team for the 2027 World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 11–17 in Beijing, China.

“Since the World Athletics Championships and the World Mountain Running Championships are a month apart, I plan to compete in both if I qualify,” she added.

Athletics Kenya Mountain Running Committee Chairman Peter Angwenyi announced that the upcoming race will serve as a selection event for the provisional squad heading to the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.

The global event will take place at Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, from October 6 to 10.

“We plan to field a full team for the championships in South Africa, and for the first time, we will also send junior men and women to the global event,” Angwenyi said.

He encouraged athletes to begin preparations for Tinderet following the conclusion of the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS)—circuits dominated by Kenyan runners.

Angwenyi also commended the race organizers and sponsors for honoring their pledges by promptly distributing cash prizes and livestock following the clearance of anti-doping results.

The race was founded by Eric Barng’etuny, son of the late politician Ezekiel Barng’etuny, while Tinderet MP Julius Melly is the race patron.

“This is a unique race where the top 50 athletes in both the men’s and women’s categories receive cash, heifers, and sheep,” he noted, emphasizing Athletics Kenya's continued commitment to growing the sport nationwide.