Reynold Cheruiyot/ HANDOUTAfter clinching his first senior global medal at the Tokyo World Championships last month, Reynold Cheruiyot now hopes to guide Kenya’s mixed relay team to a third straight title at next year’s World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida.
Kenyans have dominated the mixed relay event at the last two editions of the global showpiece, confirming their reputation as the team to beat in the four-runner, 8km contest.
In Bathurst, Australia, in 2023, the quartet of world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mirriam Cherop, Kyumbe Munguti and Brenda Chebet triumphed in 23:14, ahead of Ethiopia (23:21) and hosts Australia (23:26).
A year later, in Belgrade, Serbia, Kenya retained the title in commanding fashion. The team of Cheruiyot, Virginia Nyambura, Munguti and Purity Chepkirui crossed the line in 22:15, well ahead of Ethiopia (22:44) and Britain (23:00).
Cheruiyot will lead Kenya’s newly assembled squad, which includes Munguti, Chepkirui, Judy Kemunto, Winfred Mbithe and David Kipkoech.
The 21-year-old underlined his form at the National Cross Country Championships at Eldoret Sports Club on 25 October, winning the 2km men’s loop in 6:13. He edged out Munguti (6:14) and Kipkoech (6:15) in a thrilling sprint finish.
The Tokyo 1,500m bronze medallist has made his ambitions clear. “Of course, my target is to go to Florida and win. We won at last year’s championship with Munguti, Nyambura and Purity,” Cheruiyot said. “We are going to work as a team to produce good results and defend our title.”
Alongside last year’s gold, Cheruiyot also holds a silver medal from the U20 8km race in Australia in 2023, where he clocked 24:30 behind Ishmael Kipkurui (24:29).
His confidence is built on a stellar 2025 season, highlighted by his breakout run in Tokyo, where he clocked 3:34.25 to take bronze behind Portugal’s Isaac Nader (3:34.10) and Britain’s Jake Wightman (3:34.12).
Reflecting on his cross-country win in Eldoret, Cheruiyot admitted it came as a surprise. “I did not expect to win the race because I was already in my off-season. I had not planned to compete, but I had to because of my employer (NPS),” he said. “I am happy I still managed to finish strong.”
Teammate Kyumbe Munguti, a seasoned relay specialist, shares Cheruiyot’s optimism ahead of the Florida showdown. “I feel good to have made the team, although the race was tough,” he said. “Me, Reynold and are the defending champions from Serbia, and I was with Wanyonyi in Australia. So making the team for a third time is a huge win for me.”
Munguti believes Kenya can extend its dominance. “We are going to work as a team, and I’m confident we’ll defend our crown,” he affirmed.
