Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet appeal to government after training frustrations
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Reading Time: 4min | Wed. 09.07.25. | 13:49
Despite the euphoria of setting yet another historic mark, the triple Olympic champion used the moment to shine a spotlight on a persistent lack of adequate training facilities
Fresh off rewriting the record books, golden girls Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet have sounded the alarm over the dire state of training facilities in the country.
The duo warned that continued neglect could hamper future success on the global stage.
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Kipyegon stormed to a new world record in the women’s 1500m with a sensational time of 3:48.68 on Saturday, 5 July in Eugene, Oregon, shaving 0.36 seconds off her previous record and becoming the first woman in history to dip under 3:49.
Her triumph came just a week after narrowly missing out on becoming the first woman in history to run a sub-four-minute mile, clocking 4:06.42 in Paris on Thursday, 26 June.
Despite the euphoria of setting yet another historic mark, the triple Olympic champion used the moment to shine a spotlight on a persistent lack of adequate training facilities.
“I think my only request, something I’ve told the CS before and will keep saying, is about access to proper training facilities.
When I was preparing to attempt the sub-four, I went through so much. Finding a good place to train or even access a track was a challenge,” she stated.
With the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret closed during her sub-four-minute mile buildup, Kipyegon had to make do with training at the Moi University School of Law and the University of Eldoret, facilities she credits for making her record attempt possible.
“I want to sincerely thank the School of Law in Eldoret and the University of Eldoret for allowing me to use their grounds. Without those facilities, I don’t think I would have dared to try.
It broke my heart that Kipchoge Stadium was closed at such a critical time, when I was about to become the first woman to run sub-four,” she offered.
The mother of one became visibly emotional as she highlighted the gulf in infrastructure between Kenyan athletes and their international rivals.
“This is not something someone like me should still have to say. If you look at elite athletes around the world, they have top-notch training facilities.
That is why global competitions are getting tougher, because better facilities produce better performances,” she uttered.
Kipyegon’s emotional appeal was echoed by Beatrice Chebet, who on the same day in Eugene smashed the women’s 5000m world record in 13:58.06, slicing more than two seconds off Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay’s mark set in 2022.
She also became the first woman to dip under 14 minutes in the 5,000m.
Chebet, who now holds world titles in both the 5000m and 10,000m, said poor conditions have become a norm for Kenyan athletes.
“We go through a lot during training, and I saw it firsthand when Faith was preparing for the sub-four. It was extremely challenging, especially when it rained.
Faith has mentioned training at Annex and Chepkoilel, but to be honest, those aren’t world-class facilities. When it rains, we can’t even train. We just have to wait until the rain stops,” she said.
“All we are asking for is access to a proper track. Facilities are our biggest challenge.
Imagine trying to go sub-14 or sub-4 while training on a murram track; we’ve done that. But with a tartan track, I believe we can achieve even more,” she added.
The concern comes at a time when Kenya’s two main stadia, Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo National Stadium, are closed in preparation for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August.
The Ulinzi Sports Complex, currently one of the few options available, may also be off-limits once CHAN kicks off. With Kipyegon and Chebet training in the North Rift, access to facilities becomes a major challenge.
In response to the outcry, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving sports infrastructure across the country.
“I hear you about the tartan track, and as a ministry, we are already investing heavily. In stadiums like Kamariny, Kipchoge Keino, Nyayo, and Homa Bay, we are already working on having a standard tartan track.
We will invest and ensure you have the best facilities for your training,” Mvurya said.
