Mombassa, Kenya

Coordinates: 4 3 S 39 40 E
Population: 847,626 (2007 est.)
Given that the country’s citizens frequently number among the top finishers at foot races the world over, it’s appropriate that this year’s World Cross Country Championships (the 35th annual) will be held in Kenya. Organizers passed over the nation’s more populous capital to host the athletes from 61 nations. Instead, they chose the smaller coastal city of Mombassa.

Originally an Arab trading post put on the map by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in the 15th century, Mombassa has since expanded beyond the watery limits of its island beginnings. The historic port city is the capital of Kenya’s Coast Province, where, due to its proximity to the equator and its savanna climate, it should reliably offer contestants rather warm running conditions.

—.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is the editor of the Oxford Atlas of the World.

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