.jpg)
Where Ferdinand Omanyala will open his 2026 season
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 17.01.26. | 16:06
His 2025 season began positively at home, where he claimed victory at the Athletics Kenya meet in Thika
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has confirmed he is set to open his 2026 season at the Miramas World Athletics Indoor Tour event on Friday, 30 January.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
The Meeting Miramas organisers announced Omanyala’s return via social media, hailing him as the African sprint icon who will once again light up the Miramas Metropole arena.
.jpg)
“The king of African sprint will be in Miramas in 2026! We are pleased to announce the presence of Ferdinand Omanyala, record holder of the Miramas meeting, for a new edition that promises to be incredible.
Africa’s fastest man returns to the stadium Miramas Metropole to defend his status. And why not drop a historic timeline?” read the post.
Miramas holds special significance for Omanyala. It was at the French indoor meet in 2024 that he delivered one of the standout performances of his career.
He clocked 6.62 seconds in Heat One and then exploded in the final, winning in 6.52 seconds, which shattered his personal best and set a new Kenyan national record.
The time bettered his previous mark by 0.2 seconds and established him as an indoor force.
The Miramas outing will offer Omanyala a chance to kick-start his 2026 season on a high note following a challenging 2025 campaign that delivered moments of promise but fell short of his lofty standards.
His 2025 season began positively at home, where he claimed victory at the Athletics Kenya meet in Thika. He then headed to South Africa and finished third at the ASA Grand Prix I in 10.22 seconds before bouncing back with a commanding win in the second leg, clocking 10.08.
The momentum carried into the Uganda National Trials, where Omanyala stormed to a 10.02-second finish in the 100m and later anchored Kenya to a memorable 4×100m relay victory.
At the Botswana Grand Prix, he came agonisingly close to the elusive sub-10 mark, running 10.00 seconds for second place.
Omanyala’s Diamond League campaign was marked by flashes of brilliance and inconsistency. He finished second in Xiamen in 10.13, seventh in Shanghai with 10.25, and third in Rome after clocking 10.01.
However, his struggles deepened later in the season, placing eighth at the Gyulai István Memorial in 10.26 and seventh in Brussels with 10.49.
Despite the challenges, there were notable highlights. At the World Relays in Guangzhou, Omanyala played a key role in helping Kenya qualify for the men’s World Championships 4×100m relay for the first time in decades.
He also ventured into uncharted territory at the Atlanta City Games, where he set both Kenyan and African records in the rarely run 150m, blazing to a remarkable 14.70 seconds.
Back on home soil, Omanyala rounded off his season at the National Athletics Trials by winning the 100m in 10.08 seconds before settling for silver in the 200m behind Zablon Ekwam.
.jpg)
