Race to Tokyo: Kenya’s stars set for crucial trials

Kenya’s storied history in the World Championships goes back to the first edition in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland.

Thirty-two years later only the United States have outperformed Kenya as the most successful country in the history of the biennial competition, which brings together 200 member federations.

Thus far, Kenya boasts 171 medals, which include 65 gold, 58 silver and 48 bronze.

This year as we prepare for the World Championships in Tokyo, the goal is to go one better than 2015, where Kenya topped the medal table in Beijing with seven gold, six silver and three bronze.

The realization of this goal starts at this Tuesday’s national trials in which 150 athletes will be battling for tickets to Tokyo across different disciplines at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

This will be an invite-only event where only Kenyan athletes who have undergone the requisite out-of-competition anti-doping tests will be eligible to participate.

This is to prevent a scenario where athletes who don’t meet these criteria are barred from representing Kenya at the World Championships despite meeting the qualifying time.

Apart from Kenyan athletes, the trials will be graced by a number of foreign athletes from Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and the Refugee team.

They include the Ugandan duo of Joy Cheptoyek and Shida Leni as well as Ethiopia’s Berhanu Ayansa, among others.

Also to look forward to is the walk race where we will have international technical officials to oversee the competitions and ensure the results are certified according to World Athletics specifications.

Other events include women’s javelin, triple jump and long jump.

Already, there are a number of athletes who have qualified for Tokyo, including the men’s 10,000m, women’s 5000m and the relay teams.

A fortnight ago, AK used the Prefontaine Classic to conduct trials for the men’s 10,000m as well as women’s 5000m.

Subsequently Edwin Kurgat and Ishmael Kipkurui are the two to represent us in the men’s 10,000m, with a third athlete to be selected by an AK panel.

This will also apply to the women’s 5000m where Beatrice Chebet and Agnes Ngetich are our two representatives as at this stage.

Tokyo will also be historic for Team Kenya as it will be the first time to have three relay teams at a World Championships.

There is the men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m as well as the 4x400m mixed relay teams that earned their slots through wonderful performances at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China in May this year.

All these factors considered, there is cause for optimism heading into the national trials and into the World Championships.

The qualifying period for all track and field events will conclude at midnight on August 24, 2025.

However, the qualification period for the marathon event elapsed on May 25th 2025.

We are really excited as a federation as we continue the countdown to the trial which is proudly sponsored  by KCB Bank, Betika, Cocacola and Kenya Creameries Corporation (KCC), Athletics Kenya said.

“We ask all the invited athletes to adhere to the set instructions, including confirming their availability for the trials as well as collecting their bib numbers on Monday, and on time.”