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Herculean task for Kenyan men ahead of Beijing World Championships
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 24.09.25. | 17:28
This year’s performance also bettered the 2023 edition in Budapest, where Kenya finished fifth with 10 medals (three gold, three silver, four bronze)
“Every second, SUGOI.”
That was the official motto of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, borrowing from the Japanese word Sugoi (すごい), which means extraordinary.
And for Team Kenya, every moment in Tokyo truly lived up to that promise.
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With 11 medals: seven gold, two silver, and two bronze, Kenya surpassed its famous 2015 outing in Beijing, where the nation made history as overall champions with five gold, four silver, and two bronze.
This year’s performance also bettered the 2023 edition in Budapest, where Kenya finished fifth with 10 medals (three gold, three silver, four bronze).
The Tokyo haul placed Kenya second overall in the world standings, behind the USA, who retained their title with 26 medals (16 gold, five silver, five bronze).
Beatrice Chebet was the star of the show, winning double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
In doing so, she matched Vivian Cheruiyot’s 2011 feat and became the first woman to simultaneously hold world and Olympic titles in both distances.
Chebet also joined Britain’s Mo Farah as only the second athlete ever to achieve this rare double-double.
Faith Kipyegon not only defended her 1,500m title but also claimed a fourth global gold in the event and the third in a row.
Victory placed her alongside El Guerrouj as the only athletes to have won four world titles in the 1500m.
The Moroccan, whose legendary career was defined by his unbroken 3:26.00 world record and Olympic double in Athens, shares his golden tally with the Kenyan queen.
She then settled for silver behind her best friend, Chebet, in the 5,000m.
Their 1-2 finish mirrored the 2024 Paris Olympics showdown.
Faith Cherotich restored Kenya’s pride in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase with a championship record performance.
The 21-year-old, who had signaled her potential with bronze in Budapest two years ago, outclassed a world-class field to become the fourth Kenyan woman to win the steeplechase world crown.
Her victory brought back pride in an event where Kenya last triumphed in 2019, after clocking 8:51.59.
Lillian Odira lit up the track with a stunning run to claim 800m gold, shattering a championship record that had stood since 1983.
She clocked 1:54.62 to ensure the title remained on Kenyan soil.
In the marathon, Peres Jepchirchir delivered Kenya’s first title since 2019, further strengthening the nation’s grip on road racing.
While the women’s team dominated, Emmanuel Wanyonyi ensured Kenya’s men did not leave empty-handed.
The Olympic champion stormed to victory in the 800m, clocking a new championship record to complete his medal collection with the one title that had eluded him.
Wanyonyi stopped the clock 1:41.86 to bag the world title.
Youngsters; Dorcas Ewoi (1500m silver), Edmund Serem (steeplechase bronze), and Reynold Cheruiyot (1500m bronze) also showed promise for the future.
Worrying signs for male athletes
Kenya’s famed strength in men’s long-distance running faltered in Tokyo.
The country failed to medal in the 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon.
In the 5,000m, lone representative Matthew Kipsang faded to 11th position.
The 10,000m saw Ishmael Kipkurui narrowly miss the podium in fourth, followed by Edwin Kurgat in seventh, while Benson Kiplangat registered a did not finish (DNF)
The men’s marathon was another blow, with Kenya completely locked out as Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu stole the show.
Field events
Kenya’s absence in the field events was once again glaring.
Despite sending its largest contingent to the World Championships, the country’s representation in long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, and decathlon, among others, remained minimal, exposing a gap that continues to hinder its bid to diversify beyond track and road dominance.
With the next World Championships set for Beijing in 2027, the challenge for Athletics Kenya will be to maintain the women’s golden run while reviving the men’s distance legacy and finally addressing field event underrepresentation.
