Ferdinand Omanyala, Timothy Cheruiyot headline deep National Championships field
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 16.06.26. | 15:12
The men’s 200m will see reigning champion Zablon Ekwam renew his rivalry with Samuel Chege after posting a winning time of 20.47 seconds last year
World 800m champion Lilian Odira, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, 2023 World Championships 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo, and 2019 world 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot headline a star-studded field for the Athletics Kenya National Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials set for Thursday, 18 to Saturday, 20 June, at Nyayo National Stadium.
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With national titles, Commonwealth Games slots, and national pride at stake, the three-day event is expected to deliver thrilling contests featuring some of Kenya’s biggest athletics stars alongside emerging talents.
Omanyala returns as the defending men’s 100m champion after clocking 10.08 seconds to win last year’s title ahead of Steve Onyango and Meshack Babu.
The sprint king will be aiming to retain his crown and secure qualification for Glasgow, where he hopes to defend the Commonwealth title he won in Birmingham in 2022.
He, however, faces stiff competition from Babu, Onyango, Elkana Sabila, Ronald Kiprono, and Moses Wasike.
In the women’s 100m, defending champion Esther Mbagari will battle former title holder Eunice Kadogo and experienced sprinter Millicent Ndoro.
Odira leads the women’s 800m field as she seeks to defend the title she won last year in 2:02.08, while the men’s race features newly crowned African champion Kelvin Loti against Aaron Cheminingwa, Alex Ngeno, and Wycliffe Kinyamal.
Fresh from breaking the Chicago Half Marathon course record, Ebenyo spearheads the men’s 10,000m lineup, where he is expected to challenge defending champion Silas Sentura.
The men’s 1,500m promises another exciting chapter in the rivalry between Cheruiyot and world bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot.
Daniel Munguti and 2023 African champion Brian Komen add further quality to the field. Reynold edged Timothy to last year’s national title by just 0.05 seconds.
In the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, defending champion Simon Koech returns after his commanding victory last year and will face strong opposition from Olympic bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot, Enock Tanui, Amos Serem, and Brian Kiplagat.
The women’s 10,000m features a high-quality lineup led by New York Marathon champion Sheila Chepkirui, African champion Diana Wanza, reigning national champion Loice Chemnung, and Lilian Kasait.
Defending champion Rebecca Mwangi headlines the women’s 5,000m alongside Caroline Nyaga, the 2022 African Championships 10,000m gold medallist, while Maureen Chebor is set to contest both the 5,000m and 10,000m races.
The men’s 200m will see reigning champion Zablon Ekwam renew his rivalry with Samuel Chege after posting a winning time of 20.47 seconds last year.
A strong women’s 400m field includes defending champion Mercy Oketch, former national champion Mercy Chebet, and world 800m champion Mary Moraa. In the men’s event, George Mutinda will defend his title against Kevin Kipkorir and David Sanayek.
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The women’s 20km race walk brings together defending champion Sylvia Kemboi and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Emily Ngii, alongside Caren Simiyu, Grace Thoithi, Hellen Wawira, and Viola Kamama.
In the men’s race walk, Samuel Gathimba faces competition from African Championships silver medallist Stephen Ndangiri and 2021 World U20 champion Heristone Wanyonyi.
Among the invited Athletics Kenya diaspora athletes are NCAA 3,000m steeplechase champion Doris Lemngole and African U20 champion Pamela Kosgei. Kosgei will compete in the women’s 10,000m, while Lemngole will feature in the steeplechase.