Lilian Odira in a past race/ FILEOn Thursday, the nation's finest athletes will descend on Nyayo National Stadium for the National Championships cum Commonwealth Games trials, with national bragging rights and coveted tickets to the global stage on the line.
The Commonwealth Games are scheduled for July 23-August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland. The trials present Athletics Kenya with the perfect opportunity to assemble a formidable squad capable of flying the country's flag high on one of the biggest multi-sport stages in the world.
At the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Kenya amassed 21 medals, 20 of which came from athletics, ranking 13th on the medal standings.
Among the headline attractions for the trials is Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, who will be seeking a return to the Commonwealth Games and a chance to defend the sprint crown he won in Birmingham in 2022. In Birmingham, Omanyala blazed to victory in 10.02 seconds to outgun South Africa's Akani Simbine (10.13) and Sri Lanka's Yupun Abeykoon (10.14).
The Kenyan sprint king has already made his intentions clear in previous interviews, insisting he is determined to keep the prestigious title on home soil. “I want to defend that title next year. I really want to get back that feeling of winning,” Omanyala told the Star earlier. “I don’t want that crown to leave the country.”
World 800m champion Lilian Odira and Olympic bronze medallist Mary Moraa will also be battling for places in Kenya's team for Glasgow. Odira has previously spoken of her ambition to make a maiden appearance at the Commonwealth Games. “I have never been to the Commonwealth Games; this will be my debut if I can make the team,” Odira said.
The rising middle-distance star hopes to add a Commonwealth crown to her growing trophy cabinet, which already boasts the World title from Tokyo 2025 and a silver medal from the 2024 African Championships. “Hopefully I can do my best and, God willing, come back home with a medal.”
Moraa, meanwhile, is no stranger to the Commonwealth stage. The flamboyant 800m specialist heads into the trials as the reigning Commonwealth champion after storming to gold in Birmingham in a winning time of 1:57.07. Former world 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot is another star attraction expected to light up the championships.
The two-time Commonwealth silver medallist underlined his determination to pursue another shot at the title following his appearance at the Stockholm Diamond League. “We have the Commonwealth Games coming up, so I will go home for the trials,” Cheruiyot said.
Cheruiyot first graced the Commonwealth Games stage in Gold Coast in 2018, where he clinched silver in 3:35.17. Elijah Manangoi struck gold in that race in 3:34.78, while Scotland's Jake Wightman claimed bronze in 3:35.97. The 30-year-old returned for a second appearance in Birmingham and once again settled for silver after clocking 3:30.21.
Australia's Ollie Hoare edged him to gold in 3:30.12, while Wightman completed the podium in 3:30.53. One of the standout attractions of the trials, however, will be the women's long-distance contests. Leading the cast is reigning national 5,000m champion Rebecca Mwangi, who has made no secret of her ambitions of chasing global glory.
“I skipped the African Championships so that I can focus on the Commonwealth Games. That is the big goal for me this year,” Mwangi told the Star. At present, the national champion is still weighing up which event to target in Glasgow, revealing she is preparing for a double assault over both the 5,000m and 10,000m.
“I am training for both the 5,000m and 10,000m, so once I run the trials I will know which race to focus on for the Commonwealth,” she added. Mwangi is also dreaming of capturing her first major international gold medal for Kenya.
“At the Commonwealth Games, my target is a gold medal so that I can make Kenya proud,” she said. At last year's National Championships, Mwangi powered to the 5,000m title after clocking 15:39.78.
Another athlete expected to command attention is Diana Wanza, who arrives at the trials fresh from securing a maiden continental title in the 10,000m.
On May 15, Wanza delivered her first medal for Team Kenya at the African Championships in Accra, Ghana, claiming gold over 25 laps in a winning time of 31:33.26. “I have to make the team for the Commonwealth Games. I am hoping for a medal too,” she said earlier.
In the field events, 2016 Olympic javelin silver medallist Julius Yego will be hoping to use the inspiration from securing a record-extending sixth continental crown in Ghana to fuel him to gold in Glasgow. Yego has previous experience at the Club games and Glasgow, having won gold in 2014 at the games staged in Glasgow as well as securing bronze at the 2022 edition.
