The 5,000m national champion Daniel Simiyu Ebenyo has his eyes trained at making Team Kenya to Budapest for the World Championships in August.
With the national trials set for this weekend, Simiyu says making it to Hungary will be his second achievement this year.
At the start of 2023, he set his sights on three global championships: the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and the World Road Running Championships in Riga.
“I hope to make the team for the World Championships,” said Simiyu, who has qualifying times for both the 5000m and 10,000m but may opt for the longer event in Budapest.
“This time I want to come back with a medal. This will only be possible with good preparations," Simiyu said during an interview with World Athletics.
He placed sixth in the senior men’s race in Bathurst in February and since then he has been undefeated in six races across a range of distances this year.
He won 10km road races in Gqeberha and Okpekpe. He also triumphed over 10,000m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi in May.
Other achievements include winning the Istanbul Half Marathon in 59:52 in April as well as winning his third Kenyan 5000m title in Nairobi.
“For the World Road Running Championships in Riga, I’d prefer to be selected for the half marathon over the 5km,” he added,.
He understands that the competition at the trials will be tough especially from his idol Geoffrey Kamworor, but he remains determined to achieve his goal.
“Kamworor always motivates me in my races and tells me to keep working hard,” he says of the fellow Kenyan who has won global medals on the road, track and cross country. “I sometimes watch videos of him running to inspire me more.”
“I hope to make it on to the Kenyan team, but even if I don’t, I will always wish the best to those who make it to represent the country and wait for my time. Through hard work, I believe that everybody can achieve success,” he says.
