Emmanuel Wanyonyi/ FILENewly minted world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has revealed that he plans to launch his 2026 season with a series of 1,500m outings as part of a strategic build-up for his two-lap race speciality.
The 21-year-old underlined his dominance over the 800m at the just-concluded Tokyo World Championships, storming to his maiden global crown in a blistering 1:41.86.
He outkicked Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:41.90) and Canada’s Marco Arop (1:41.95) in a thrilling blanket finish that went down to the wire.
Wanyonyi’s golden run in Tokyo marked a step up from the previous edition in Budapest, where he had settled for silver in 1:44.53 behind Arop’s 1:44.24.
With his 2025 campaign now behind him, the Kenyan prodigy has shifted focus to recovery and a calculated build-up for the new season.
“Now it’s all about recovery, then after that a slow build-up for the next season,” Wanyonyi said. His blueprint for 2026 includes opening the year with several 1,500m races to sharpen his endurance before returning to the two-lap battlefield mid-season.
“I will start running the 1,500m next year as a build-up and then shift to the 800m mid-season,” he confirmed. This year, Wanyonyi eased into his track calendar with two 1,500m races.
At the Athletics Kenya weekend meeting at the Eliud Kipchoge Complex on March 15, he clocked 3:38.1 to win ahead of Josphat Sang (3:44.1) and Justice Byegon (3:46.4).
He then stunned Olympic medallists at the Kingston Grand Slam Track meet in April, winning in 3:35.18 ahead of Olympic champion Yared Nuguse (3:35.36) and Cole Hocker (3:35.52).
Before those outings, his only experience over the metric mile dated back to 2022 at the Nyayo Stadium during an AK weekend meeting, where he posted 3:43.19.
Those early races over the metric mile laid the foundation for his explosive 2025 campaign. He later tested himself over the classic Mile at the Adidas Adizero Road to Records, stopping the clock in 3:52.45 for another victory. Wanyonyi also ruled the Diamond League circuit with a string of commanding performances.
He opened in Rabat on May 25, running 1:43.37 for third behind Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela (1:42.70) and Britain’s Max Burgin (1:43.34).
He, however, bounced back with emphatic victories in Oslo (1:42.78), Stockholm (1:41.95), Monaco (1:41.44), and London (1:42.00), before finishing runner-up in Lausanne (1:43.29).
He capped the Diamond League season with a third straight League trophy in Zurich, clocking 1:42.37, adding to his previous triumphs in 2023 (1:42.80) and 2024 (1:42.70).
Looking ahead, Wanyonyi is convinced that the metric mile will be the cornerstone of his 2026 season. "For me, 1,500m is more of a buildup so I can be ready for the 800m."
Reflecting on his golden night in Tokyo, he explained that sheer speed was the key weapon in his arsenal. "The tactic was to make the race fast because I knew it would be a very competitive race. I thank God I was able to win gold, but it was very tight and competitive," he stated.
