Rising Star award just the start for steeplechaser Serem

Kenya’s Edmund Serem has been left feeling even more motivated after securing the Rising Star honour at the World Athletics Awards in December.

At the age of 17 years and 262 days, Serem became the youngest male athlete to ever win an individual medal at the World Athletics Championships when he clinched 3000m steeplechase bronze behind Geordie Beamish and Soufiane El Bakkali in Tokyo.

During a highly successful year, the teenager was also runner-up in the Wanda Diamond League final and achieved top four finishes in four other Diamond League meetings – including at the Herculis in Monaco where he clocked a PB of 8:04.00 to move to fifth on the world U20 all-time list.

It was also in Monaco that Serem received recognition for those achievements at the end of 2025.

“For me, Monaco has been the best. I ran my personal best here and today I receive this award,” he said during the World Athletics Awards, where he received his trophy from world pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis, the 2018 Rising Star winner who regained the Men’s World Athlete of the Year award later that evening.

“I am honoured to receive it,” added Serem. “I am grateful. As young as I am, I promise to do well in future and to do everything possible to win even the Athlete of the Year award.”

Serem’s season started at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, where he finished fourth. He was then runner-up in Shaoxing/Keqiao and placed third in Rabat before winning at the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Nairobi.

His PB and third-place finish in Monaco came next, followed by a win at the Kenyan trials for Tokyo, a second-place finish in the Diamond League final in Zurich and finally that bronze medal at the World Championships.

As well as becoming the youngest individual male medallist in World Championships history, Serem continued Kenya’s streak of claiming at least one medal in the 3000m steeplechase at every edition of the World Championships since the event was last held in Tokyo in 1991. As a result, he followed in the footsteps of his coach Patrick Sang, who secured silver at that edition in Tokyo.

“My season was good,” reflected Serem, who stepped up to the senior stage in 2025 after winning the world U20 title in 2024. “It was my first time competing in the Diamond League this year. It was my first time running under 8:10 and my first time running under 8:05 in the steeplechase, and so I think this year will be the start of my future – I'll be remembering this year.”

A year that was capped by that Rising Star award win.

“This is special,” he added. “Being recognised by World Athletics is special and really motivates you to do more. This shows you that when you do well, people recognise you, and these awards motivate you to be hungry for more.”

But he recognises that he didn’t do it alone. As well as coach Sang, Serem’s support network includes his family, particularly his father and his older brother Amos, the 2021 world U20 3000m steeplechase champion.

“Our father had a great passion for athletics but didn't get enough support at the time,” Edmund told World Athletics during an interview in 2024. “He has provided Amos and me with everything we’ve needed, telling us, ‘I don't want you to lack anything as I did during my time’.”

Having that support meant Edmund’s World Championships medal felt even more significant.

“Of course, there was a very big celebration, mostly from my father,” he said, reflecting on the reaction to his world bronze. “Everybody, all my family, they were watching me, they were happy. After the race, they sent me the video of them celebrating, and I was also very happy that I didn't let them down.”

Both Amos and Edmund are guided by Sang in Kaptagat and train together, despite being in two different camps. Given his family’s athletics passion, Edmund doesn’t need to look far for inspiration, but there is another figure in his life who is also on hand to offer advice should the 18-year-old ever need it.

“My mentor is Eliud Kipchoge,” explained Edmund, who has been inspired by the Kenyan marathon great. “I would like to follow in his footsteps and inspire the next generation.”

While Edmund will still be young enough to defend his title at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 in August, his focus is on competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and running a personal best this year.

And he already has some advice for other rising stars looking to emulate him on the U20 stage.

“What I can tell them is to work hard, be consistent, have perseverance,” he said, “and when they are in that race, they must have confidence and believe in their training, believe in their coach – have faith that that they can do it.”

Jess Whittington for World Athletics