What awaits Kenyan stars at inaugural Grand Slam Track
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Reading Time: 5min | Mon. 24.03.25. | 16:53
The winner of each Slam will win the grand prize of US$100,000.
In less than a fortnight, athletics stars from across the world will line up for the inaugural Grand Slam Track slated for Friday 4 to 6 April in Kingston, Jamaica.
There will be 48 challengers and 48 racers competing in Kingston, Jamaica, for the largest prize purse ever distributed in an athletic event in history, $12.6 million.
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The winner of each Slam will win the grand prize of US$100,000.
Grand Slam Track will feature four annual Slams between April and June, with eight competitors in each of the 12 groups of events. At the beginning of each season, four “Racers” per test group form the starting list to compete in the four Slams.
The next four competitors in each group of events are the “Challengers”, whose recent performances promise a very exciting and attractive competition for all lovers of athletics and sport in general.
Each athlete will compete twice throughout the weekend, and the best combined ranking will determine the Slam champion of each group of events.
Among these athletes are Kenyan stars who will be eager to fly the country’s flag high. Mozzart Sport gives a breakdown of the athletes.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi
The Paris Olympics 800m defending champion will be out to challenge himself in the 1,500m.
He warmed up for the event with a victory at the third Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field Weekend Meet in Kapsabet last weekend.
The youngster did not disappoint the fans who turned up to cheer him as he ran 1,500m and stormed to victory in 3:38:1, an impressive time by his standards.
“I ran 1500m (in Kapsabet) because I needed endurance for 800m and the body responded well. For now, I am preparing for the Grand Slam in Jamaica where I will run 800m and 1500m and then I will see how it turns out,” he said after the victory.
In Jamaica, he will be up against Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Yared Nuguse, Marco Arop, Bryce Hoppel, Neil Gourley, and Mohamed Attaoui.
Ronald Kwemoi
The 28-year-old will be looking to improve on his time after winning silver during the Paris 2024 Olympics. He is constantly proving that he still has many fruitful years ahead of him, and his debut at the Grand Slam Track is likely to be the springboard to many more successes to come.
Kwemoi will be looking to relive his teenage days when he became the first teenager to run 3:28 in the 1,500m.
Susan Ejore
Since making her debut at the Olympics, Ejore has been a lady on a mission. The 29-year-old featured in the Paris Olympics last year, finishing sixth in the women’s 1500m with a personal best of 3:56.07.
The US-based Kenyan athlete tried making the team to the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games but finished fourth in the 1500m trials to narrowly miss out on the team.
Ejore then tried her luck at the 2023 World Championships trials, competing in the 800m but unfortunately finished fourth. She did not lose hope, however, as she returned to the Nyayo National Stadium for the Kenyan Olympic trials in 2024.
Her recent race after the Olympic trials was the Diamond League Meeting in Paris, France where she finished sixth in a personal best time 3:57.26.
She is also among the Kenyans competing in the Nanjing Indoor Championships in China.
Mary Moraa
The 800m star will be out to make a statement in Jamaica.
She enjoyed a stellar 2024, claiming bronze at the Paris Olympic Games before winning the trophy at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels.
In between, she won a series of races including the 600m at the ISTAF 2024 in Berlin where she broke Caster Semenya’s world best.
Moraa also claimed top honours in the women’s 400m at the African Games before winning the Kip Keino Classic and the Diamond League Meetings in Doha and Lausanne. She also finished second at the Prefontaine Classic.
Agnes Ng’etich
The world 10km record holder will be out to bag a medal in the event. If her recent performance is anything to go by, the Adidas-sponsored athlete is poised to make history.
She claimed top honours in last month’s Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Championships in 32:42, edging out triple Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon in the process.
The 24-year-old broke the 10km world record last year and hoped to represent the country during the Olympics but came fourth in the trials and missed out on the Olympics due to an injury.
Now setting her sights on the track and field circuit, Jebet is optimistic about what 2025 holds.
Nelly Chepchirchir
Chepchirchir has enrolled for both the 800m and 1,500m for the Grand Slam and she is leaving nothing to chance in her preparations for the showdown.
She already kicked off her 2025 campaign in style, storming to an 800m victory at the Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field meeting in Kapsabet last Saturday.
The 21-year-old clocked 2:02.5, finishing ahead of Venice Kerubo (2:06.4) and Naumglorious Chepchumba (2:06.8).
She revealed that she was using the race to gauge her form ahead of the busy 2025 season.
Having attained the qualifying marks in both the 800m and 1,500m for the Tokyo World Championships, Chepchirchir noted she is undecided on which event to focus on.
The 2025 season holds immense promise for Chepchirchir, who was in sensational form last year.
Hellen Ekalale
Japan-based Ekalale started her year on a high by beating a strong field in the women’s race at the 17th edition of the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, on Sunday 12 January in Valencia, Spain.
The 26-year-old who runs locally for Nairobi Region, took the honours at 29:30 to send a statement ahead of GST.
