Olympi and world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi/ FILEAthletics Kenya has rolled out a master plan designed to ensure the country continues its success at the global front, President Jackson Tuwei has revealed.
The federation is keeping everyone on their toes, especially with next year’s packed calendar of athletics competitions.
Tuwei’s remarks come on the back of Kenya’s sparkling show at the just-concluded World Championships in Tokyo, where the team stormed to 11 medals (seven gold, two silver and two bronze).
The haul saw Kenya finish second overall behind the USA, which bagged 26 medals, while cementing its status as Africa’s undisputed athletics giant.
Tuwei said the 2026 season will be one of the busiest.
“Next year is going to be a very busy year in terms of athletics. We have seven World Athletics Series events starting with the World Cross Country Championships in January,” Tuwei said.
"We also have other competitions which we will be taking part in, like the Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, city marathons, Diamond Leagues and here in Kenya, we have the Kip Keino and the Sirikwa Classic," he said.
The World Cross Country Championships are set for January 10 in Tallahassee, Florida, while the Commonwealth Games will unfold in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
The Youth Olympic Games will be staged in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31 to November 13, while the Diamond League season begins on May 23 in Xiamen, China.
On September 11–13, Budapest will host the inaugural World Ultimate Championships, another marquee event on the calendar.
"We have started a good programme for cross country to prepare our athletes early for next year's Championship," said Tuwei.
The circuit kicked off in Machakos on August 9 and will climax with the national championship on October 25 at the Eldoret Sports Club, a meet that will also serve as the official team selection.
He urged athletes to keep their focus sharp and begin early preparations.
"We have advised athletes to start working for next year," he said.
Tuwei said Kenya’s success in Tokyo stemmed from a well-structured build-up.
"We launched our 2025 calendar sometime back, with our main aim being Tokyo. We had proper preparation time and I want to thank the whole team that ensured we prepared well despite the challenges we faced in terms of facilities," he said.
He praised Team Kenya's performance in Tokyo while still highlighting that more work needs to be done.
"We are very happy because for the first time we equalled what we did in terms of gold medals from our most successful World Championships," he said.
"We still have some improvements to deal with for the next Championship."
"I congratulate the whole team that was in Tokyo for bringing all those medals back home."
He also credited the federation's corporate partners, particularly Betika, for fueling the sport’s growth through increased competitions and incentives.
"Since Betika came in, our athletes are happier because there are more races, which means more money and proper buildup. You can only grow athletics by having more events," he concluded.
