L-R: George Mutinda, Kevin Kipkorir and Brian Onyari Tinega after the 400m at the Kenyan Championships (© Athletics Kenya)
The Kenyan Championships drew to a close on Friday (27) at Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex with Mercy Oketch, George Mutinda, and Reynold Cheruiyot among the standout performers.
The event, initially scheduled for three days, had to be condensed into two days following the Gen Z commemoration protests on Wednesday. Kenya’s World Championships Trials will be held on 1-2 August, while trial races for the women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m will be staged during the Prefontaine Classic.
The men’s 400m produced one of the standout moments as the top three finishers – George Mutinda, Brian Tinega and Kevin Kipkorir – attained the qualifying time for the World Championships.
Mutinda won the race in a time of 44.51 seconds, with Tinega and Kipkorir finishing second and third in 44.67 and 44.80, respectively. The trio will clash again at the Kenyan Trials in August when they will look to secure their place on the national team for the World Championships.
“I was not expecting to attain the time today, but when I woke up today morning (Friday), I prayed for a personal best,” said Mutinda. “The competition was tough because everyone was in their top shape.”
Mercy Oketch won the women’s 400m in 50.32, just 0.18 shy of the Kenyan record she set at the end of last month. Mercy Chebet (51.80) and Lanoline Aoko (51.81) finished second and third.
Kelvin Loti stole the show in the men’s 800m, clocking 1:43.61 – a PB by more than a second – to finish ahead of Laban Chepkwony (1:43.64) and Alex Ngeno (1:45.55).
In the men’s 1500m, 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot was caught at the finish line by 2022 world U20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot. The 20-year-old won in 3:37.23, with Timothy Cheruiyot, the 2021 Olympic silver medallist, stopping the clock at 3:37.28. 2022 world indoor bronze medallist Abel Kipsang was third, clocking 3:40.20.
Ferdinand Omanyala claimed top honours in the men’s 100m in 10.08 ahead of Steve Odhiambo (10.27) and Meshack Babu (10.31). The 200m was Zablon Ekwam’s time to shine as he caught Omanyala at the finish line, clocking a PB of 20.47 to win by 0.06.
“It’s crazy, I didn’t expect to win,” said Ekwam, who represented Kenya in the 400m at last year’s Olympics. “Competing among the best is something I’ve always wished for. I think we are headed in the right direction. I have a series of international races to compete in before the World Championships.”
Sylvia Abigael Wafula for World Athletics
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