Team Kenya arrived in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the World athletics Championships which would begin on Saturday.

The team arrived at Beijing International Airport aboard a China Southern Airlines flight. The team left Nairobi on Monday night on a Kenya Airways flight via Vietnam to Guangzhou where they had a flight delay before connecting a China Southern Airlines flight. China Southern recently launched direct flights to Nairobi.

"A team of 39 athletes are here and are putting up at Star Grand Continental. They are in high spirits and the weather is good," said Athletics Kenya Nyanza North chairman Joseph Ochieng, who accompanied the team here. He said female marathoners and 1, 500m athletes will arrive later.

Ochieng said they will make different travel arrangements for the athletes so that they don't endure a long trip to Beijing like their counterparts.

Speaking at China National Convention Center, Ochieng added: "The weather is good. If it does not change, I'm sure our runners will do well. They have trained well and the morale is high," he added.

Team captain Ezekiel Kemboi and his deputy were part of the team which arrived in Beijing. AK vice president and newly elected IAAF women's committee member Fatma Awale Abdalla, asked Kenyans to pray for the team.

"This team is upbeat and has promised not to let Kenyans down. Kenyans should pray for the team," she added. Former athletes Benjamin Limo and Noah Ngeny are also here in Beijing as part of the 'IAAF Family'. Preparations for the championships were in high gear yesterday with the opening ceremony rehearsals.