National sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki has boldly predicted that Kenya could field its largest-ever contingent of sprinters at a global competition, tipping up to 24 athletes to represent the country at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
The sprint revolution is already in motion. Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, was the first Kenyan sprinter to book his ticket to Tokyo, clocking 9.88 seconds in the 100m at the Silesia Diamond League on August 25 last year, well under the 10-second qualifying mark.
Olympian Wiseman Were followed suit, smashing the 400m hurdles standard of 48.50 at the Kip Keino Classic on May 31, when he stormed to victory in 48.34 seconds. On the same day, national 400m record holder Mercy Oketch cemented her place on the plane to Tokyo, running a commanding 50.14 seconds (comfortably under the women’s qualifying mark of 50.75) to seal her second Kip Keino title.
The breakthroughs didn’t stop there. At the Athletics Kenya National Championships held on June 27, a men’s 400m trio lit up the track, all dipping under the 44.85 qualifying threshold. George Mutinda led the charge in 44.51, followed by Brian Tinega (44.67) and Kelvin Kipkorir (44.80), all securing their spots for the Tokyo showdown.
Adding to the sprint surge, Kenya’s relay teams; men’s 4x100m, 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m, have all qualified for the global extravaganza. "Our relay teams have already punched their tickets to Tokyo. That gives us around 18 sprinters across the three events, with an estimated six athletes per relay squad," Mwaniki explained.
"Add to that those who've qualified individually and we're looking at a potentially historic sprint squad of around 24 athletes. The biggest the country has ever fielded at such a championship," he added. Mwaniki believes the number could climb even higher before the qualification window closes on August 24.
“We still have time for more athletes to make the cut. Some are within striking range and the upcoming World Championship trials in August could provide that final springboard,” he said. “If they can get competitive races abroad before then, the chances get even better.”
Those close to meeting the World Championship standards include Zablon Ekwam and Dennis Mwai in the 200m, sitting 74th and 148 in the global rankings. In the 400m, Boniface Mweresa sits in position 100 in the global rankings, while in the women's event, Damaris Mutunga is ranked 98th globally.
According to Mwaniki, the secret lies in a strategic early build-up, catalysed by Betika BingwaFest, a local athletics initiative that kickstarted training as early as November last year.
"We started our build-up very early in November last year, courtesy of the Betika BingwaFest. In normal seasons, we start our build-up in February or March."
"The BingwaFest has helped our athletes, and more corporations need to invest in such kind of initiatives to help our athletes."
Mwaniki sees this surge not just as a one-off, but as a statement of intent. “With more of our athletes now meeting the World Championship standards, it’s clear Kenya has joined the sprint conversation in Africa."
"Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana have been the sprint giants, but Kenya is now in that mix,” he emphasised. Looking beyond Tokyo, Mwaniki said the current momentum is a building block for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and ultimately the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “We are not just aiming for Tokyo, this is a long-term project. The goal is to build a formidable sprint force for the future.”
