After helping Kenya’s 4x400m relay team book a ticket to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, African Championships silver medallist Kevin Kipkorir has now set his sights on punching his individual 400m ticket.
The 30-year-old was part of the quartet, alongside Zablon Ekwam, Boniface Mweresa and Kelvin Kiprotich, that stormed to a 2:59.29 fifth-place finish at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, on May 10–11, securing Kenya’s slot for the global showdown.
The Kenyans trailed South Africa (2:57.50), Belgium (2:58.19), Botswana (2:58.27) and France (2:58.80).
Now Kipkorir is gunning for the individual qualifying mark of 44.85 seconds for the Tokyo showdown. "I have to push hard and get the qualifying mark in my race. I am confident it is very much possible," Kipkorir said. However, the sprinter admitted his intensity in training dipped following the team’s return from China.
“For the last two weeks, I haven’t trained at my best. But I’m switching gears now, I want to focus fully and build the speed and strength I need,” he added.
Kipkorir’s most recent outing came at the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour Gold meet on May 31 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex. He placed second in the men’s national 400m event with a time of 45.29, behind Brian Tinega (45.06) and ahead of teammate Kiprotich (45.58). Kipkorir, however, noted that he had been hoping to lower his 45.24 personal best he had set during the World Relays trials on April 12.
"I was hoping to lower my personal best in this meeting, but it did not come. I will, however, work on my speed to meet my targets in upcoming races."
The 30-year-old highlighted the importance of the Kip Keino meet, more so to the national sprinters. "The Kip Keino Classic gives us National sprint athletes a platform to chase qualifying times for various championships."
"Almost 99 per cent of sprinters in Kenya don't have management. So it becomes very expensive for us to try and find races outside the country to chase qualifying standards," he noted. Since the start of the 2025 season, Kipkorir has been in fine form. He opened his season with the third Athletics Kenya weekend meeting in Kapsabet, claiming victories in both the 400m and 100m.
In his signature event, he clocked 46.2 to edge out Moitalel Mpoke (47.8) and Hillary Kipsang (48.0). He then surprised the field in the 100m, storming to victory in 10.1 seconds ahead of Dan Kiviasi (10.4) and Hesborn Ochieng (10.7). He then featured at the 3rd Uganda National trials, claiming victory in the 200m in 20.85 ahead of compatriots Ronald Koech (20.95) and Samuel Chege (21.36).
