Beatrice Chebet leads Kenya's charge in women's 10,000m race at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japana, September 13, 2025. /AKDouble Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet launched Kenya’s World Championship campaign in style, storming to the country’s first gold medal with a masterful victory in the women’s 10,000m.
Chebet, the reigning world record holder over both 5,000m and 10,000m, executed a cagey tactical race before igniting her trademark finishing kick in the final 100m to clock 30:37.61, securing her maiden world title in emphatic fashion.
The Kenyan star held off Italy’s Nadia Battocletti (30:38.23) and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (30:39.65), while world 10km record holder Agnes Ngetich missed the podium, finishing fourth in 30:42.66.
An ecstatic Chebet could not hide her delight at finally wearing the global crown.
“Being a world champion, I am so proud of myself.”
During the previous edition in Budapest 2023, Chebet had to settle for bronze in the 5,000m.
She, however, highlighted the complexity of the 25-lap race in Tokyo.
“Today was not an easy race, I had to be strong mentally, physically and just basically all round.”
Looking ahead, Chebet hopes she can recover in time for the women’s 5,000m.
“I hope to have good health and energy before the 5,000m starts. I am hoping for good results but it won’t be an easy race, it’s a strong field,” she said.
Kenya’s celebrations, however, were tempered earlier in the day when the 4x400m mixed relay squad saw their medal hopes dashed by disqualification.
Lining up in heat two, the quartet of Brian Tinega, Mercy Oketch, Allan Kipyego and Mary Moraa stormed to what seemed an African record time of 3:10.73, eclipsing South Africa’s mark of 3:11.16 that had stood for barely a minute after being set in heat one.
Kenya crossed the line second behind Belgium, who clinched the heat in 3:10.37, putting the Kenyans in prime position for a place in the final as one of the automatic qualifiers.
But celebrations turned to heartbreak moments later when a video review showed Tinega stepping out of his lane, nullifying their result.
The disqualification came as a huge blow to the squad, who were tipped as genuine medal contenders after storming to bronze at the World Relays in Guangzhou earlier this year.
Elsewhere on the track, Kenya’s charge in the 3,000m steeplechase gathered momentum with World U-20 champion Edmund Serem and Olympic bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot both punching their tickets to Monday’s final.
Serem showed his class in heat one, gliding to victory in 8:29.97, narrowly ahead of Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale (8:30.14) and home favourite Ryuji Miura of Japan (8:30.43). Kibiwot had to fight harder in heat two, squeezing through in fifth with 8:27.84 in a race won by Morocco’s Salaheddine Ben Yazide (8:27.21).
However, Simon Koech saw his campaign end prematurely after finishing seventh in heat three, clocking 8:31.80. Kenya’s women continued their dominance in the 1,500m, with all four entrants — Faith Kipyegon, Nelly Chepchirchir, Dorcas Ewoi and Susan Ejore — safely through to the semi-finals.
The imperious Kipyegon controlled heat four with ease, crossing in 4:02.55 ahead of France’s Sarah Madeleine (4:02.66) and Ireland’s Sarah Healy (4:02.67). Chepchirchir looked equally strong in heat two, stopping the clock at 4:07.01 to edge Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska (4:07.34) and Portugal’s Salome Afonso (4:07.44).
Ejore ran a smart race for third in heat three with 4:01.99, while Ewoi secured fourth in heat one in 4:04.40, ensuring a full Kenyan sweep into the next round.
In the men’s 100m, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala cruised into the semi-finals after clocking 10.12 for third in heat seven, behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.02) and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (10.09).
