Organisers have sought to produce an innovative and challenging course ©Getty Images

Kenya will seek to maintain their recent domination of the International Association of Athletics Federations World Cross Country Championships here tomorrow, but their runners will face a very different challenge to previous editions.

Excitement has grown in the build-up to the Championships due to the "extreme" nature of the Danish course, which has been hailed as a return to cross-country's roots.

It features a steep climb-up at the grass roof of Moesgaard Museum, with further hills, a mud pit and a water section among the obstacles facing the runners.

Pacing will prove particularly key when deciding which athletes cross the line first in each of tomorrow's races.

Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor will hope to experience that feeling for the third consecutive edition of the Championships.

He secured gold four years ago at Guiyang in China, before defending his crown two years later in Uganda's capital Kampala.

The three-time half-marathon world champion could become just the fifth man to secure a hat-trick of wins at the World Cross Country Championships should he triumph tomorrow over the 10 kilometre route.

Kamworor could face competition from Joshua Cheptegei, who won double gold on the track at last year's Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games over the 5,000 metres and 10,000m distances.

His fellow Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia's Selemon Barega could also prove threats.

While Kenya celebrated a one-two in the individual event two years ago, Ethiopia won the team title and the two countries can be expected to go head-to-head again.

Kenya eased to victory in the women's team competition in 2017 having had the top six finishers in the race.

Athletes have been assessing the challenges posed by the course prior to tomorrow's races ©Getty Images
Athletes have been assessing the challenges posed by the course prior to tomorrow's races ©Getty Images

World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri has been tipped to lead their challenge tomorrow, but she could face competition from team-mates Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Agnes Tirop for the individual honour.

Ethiopian national champion Dera Dida will hope to pose the biggest threat to Kenya's dominance of the women's event, with the country having had the winner in the past six editions.

In addition to the elite races, both the men's and women's under-20 competitions are set to be held.

The men's will be contested over around 7,700m, while the women's will be a shorter 5,800m event.

A mixed relay event will open proceedings in Denmark.

The discipline made its debut appearance at the World Championships two years ago, where Kenya emerged as the winners.