From self-belief to the world stage: Why Diana Wanza could be Kenya's next distance queen

Few nations can rival Kenya's formidable reservoir of long-distance talent, a conveyor belt of champions that has dominated tracks, roads and podiums across the globe for generations.

Yet, every so often, an athlete bursts onto the national stage with breathtaking impact before rising to conquer the continent and the world alike.

Only a select few have truly captivated the imagination and etched an enduring legacy into Kenya's rich distance-running heritage.

Among the women who have shone brightest are world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet, two-time Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and four-time world champion Vivian Cheruiyot, affectionately known as the 'Pocket Rocket'.

As Kenya continues to produce world-class champions, another rising force is quietly but steadily carving her own place among the nation's distance elite. Her name is Diana Wanza.

Wanza first thrust herself into the national spotlight on May 15 when she delivered her maiden African Championships gold medal for Kenya in Accra, Ghana, storming to a lifetime best of 31:33.26.

A graduate of Kenyatta University, where she pursued a Bachelor of Education, Wanza's passion for the track burned so fiercely that not even her parents could persuade her to walk away from the sport, choosing the track over chalk.

"After I graduated from campus, my parents were against me going into athletics because no one in our family or even village was an athlete, and so they couldn’t understand. That did not stop me. I had a love for the track and decided to follow my heart," Wanza said.

And Wanza is not content with simply becoming another accomplished athlete; she wants to inherit the mantle and keep Kenya at the summit of global distance running. "Kenya is known for being a long-distance powerhouse globally. At the moment, Chebet is not on the scene, so we have to step in and ensure we represent her well."

Chebet is sidelined for the 2026 season as she is currently on maternity leave. For Wanza, the perfect stage to firmly announce her arrival among the world's distance stars is the Commonwealth Games, which got underway on Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Commonwealth Games have long served as a springboard to global stardom for some of athletics' greatest names.

Legendary Henry Rono is one such athlete who elevated his status through the Games. At the 1978 edition in Edmonton, Canada, Rono captured double gold in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.

Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem also announced himself on the world stage at the 2022 Birmingham Games, where he struck gold before going on to win silver at the 2023 World Championships and Olympic gold in Paris in 2024.

Wanza, a mother of a three-year-old daughter, is eager to use the Club Games as the launchpad to even greater heights in her athletics journey. The 27-year-old will don the Kenyan singlet in the women's 10,000m alongside Miriam Chebet.

"It would mean a lot for me to win gold at the Commonwealth Games because that is a big stage and I am going up against some top athletes," Wanza says.

Despite her confidence, Wanza knows success will not come easily. "Getting that medal will not be easy, but I have to work for it, and I will bring it home," she said.

For the Kenyan ace, tactical discipline will be just as important as raw speed. "My race will depend on the level of competition. I have to go in strategically with a good plan on how to execute my race."

But should the pace become unforgiving, Wanza is ready to respond. "If I get a fast field, then I am going to lower my personal best."

Her preparations have revolved around sharpening both speed and strength ahead of her assault on Commonwealth glory.

"The camp has been good; we have been pushing ourselves well. I am improving on my speed and some strength so that everything can be good."

Wanza also takes comfort in knowing she will not be fighting alone in Glasgow, where she hopes to combine forces with Miriam Chebet in a tactical display capable of delivering Kenya a one-two finish.

"I am so happy that we are two in the team, so in Glasgow we will push each other against our rivals and hope for the best."

The women’s 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games is set for Monday (July 27), also the first day of the athletics schedule, at 10.05 pm Kenyan time.

Her ticket to Glasgow came after finishing second at the Athletics Kenya National Championships and Commonwealth Games trials, clocking 31:56.80 behind Loice Chemnung's winning 31:46.90.

Beyond Glasgow, Wanza believes a strong performance could ignite an even brighter future as the athletics calendar builds towards two of the sport's biggest spectacles. "We have the 2027 World Championships in Beijing as well as the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Good progress in Glasgow will give me confidence and show me that I am in good shape for those two big events," she added.

Wanza has also set her sights firmly on another milestone, a maiden appearance on the Diamond League circuit. "I am having conversations with my manager so that he can secure a race in the Diamond League for me right after the Commonwealth Games."

"I have never been in a competitive 5,000m race so I think the Diamond League will be a good platform for me to test my mantle against the world's best."

The distance specialist heads to Scotland buoyed by what has already been a breakthrough 2026 campaign.

"I think I have done a good build-up before the 2026 season. I had trained hard for this year, and I came in very positive."

A major turning point came early in the year when she signed with UK-based manager Idris Hamud, also her coach, of Moja Sports Management. "I signed with Idris in early January, and that has really opened doors for me."

Her first outing of the season came on the roads at the Azpeitia International Half Marathon in Spain on March 21, where she produced an emphatic victory in a course-record 1:07:31.

Her mark was microseconds better than the previous benchmark of 1:07:32 set by legendary Tegla Loroupe in 1998.

Wanza led; Spain's Irene Escribano finished second in 1:11:13 while Kenya's Vivian Rop completed the podium in 1:12:56.

"I started the year with a half marathon race in Spain where I set a course record, and I think that really motivated me."

She extended her winning streak on April 10 at the African Championships trials at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, clocking 32:12.1 to finish ahead of Mercy Mageso (32:27.2) and Phena Yego (32:47.4).

Wanza then switched to the 5,000m at the Kip Keino Classic, where she once again emerged victorious in 15:28.91, leaving Mercy Chepkemoi (15:49.85) and Dorcus Chepkwemoi (15:55.29) trailing behind. Then came May 15 in Accra — the race that transformed promise into proof.

Wanza knew only a bold gamble would deliver the biggest prize of her career. "At the African Championships I had to take the risk because there were other strong nations like Ethiopia. During the race, I kicked to see who would follow, but nobody was coming, so I decided to go hard and go for gold."

"I knew my body was in great shape and I was also very ready for the challenge."

Her courageous move paid handsome dividends as she stormed to gold in a lifetime best of 31:33.26, finishing comfortably ahead of Rwanda's Florence Niyonkuru (31:43.73) and Ethiopia's Asefu Abreha (31:45.91).

She then extended her flying form at the Commonwealth Games trials, where she finished behind Chemnung to book her slot for Scotland.

“Going into the Commonwealth Games Trials, there was a lot of tension because we had been told that only the first athlete across the line would get automatic qualification. I knew I had to give my best and push hard so that I could get that ticket for my first ever Commonwealth appearance.”

“I am so happy it paid off; it is always a privilege to wear the national colours and represent Kenya on the global stage,” she notes.

Born on February 19, 1999, in Masinga, Machakos County, Wanza's love affair with distance running began at an early age.

She recalls discovering her talent while at Vyusyoni Primary School in Mbitini, Machakos. "In primary, I used to run 5,000m, and I would make it all the way to the provincial level."

But the journey was anything but smooth. "There was no motivation while in primary school. The teachers didn’t push as much or tell us that athletics can also turn into a career," she says.

"I recall that we only used to run during games time when the teachers would tell us to run around the field or school. That was the only training I would do in primary, but also at the time you are still young so you don’t know the basics and you are just running for fun."

"In high school, our principal had a passion for athletics, and he used to push us to take a keen interest in it. I ran both the 5,000m and 10,000m and cross country in high school."

"We used to have morning runs in school, so that in a way was a form of training. I used to make the nationals sometimes, but the performance was not all that great."

When she joined Kenyatta University in 2019 to pursue a Bachelor of Education, athletics remained impossible to ignore. "University is all about studying, but you also have to find something else to focus on."

"Most universities don’t support athletics, so there was no proper coach or a mentor to help me hit the ground running in university in my athletics career. I would wake up and then go for morning runs."

Soon, those lonely training sessions evolved into something much bigger. "I got a friend who also had a passion for athletics, so we started running together, and soon we formed a running group," she said.

Without a coach, the internet became their classroom. They studied elite athletes' training programmes online and adapted them into their own daily routines.

"We used to search online for what other athletes are doing, then implement them in our training. I had given all my focus to training, and I wanted to succeed in athletics."

In 2021, Wanza competed in her first Athletics Kenya meeting, finishing 22nd in the 5,000m at the second AK weekend meeting at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in 17:16.7. She built on that experience in 2022 by sweeping both the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the Federation of African University Sports Games in Nairobi, clocking 17:07.44 and 35:15.21 respectively.

“Winning the University Games was so amazing. I used to dominate the distance races in school, and now I was facing top athletes from across Africa.”

“I honestly expected to win because my form was good and I was more than confident. That win showed me that I can do even greater things on the track,” she shares.

Even after graduating, Wanza remained relentless in her pursuit of improvement and, in 2024, came under the guidance of coach Lawrence Kipruto, who patiently nurtured her rise into the national spotlight.

Her 2025 campaign began modestly, with a 15th-place finish at the National Cross Country Championships, followed by a 13th-place finish at the Sikiwa Classic.

She later finished ninth in the 5,000m at the National Championships and narrowly missed a place in Kenya's World Cross Country team after placing 24th at the trials. But by the close of the season, the tide had turned.

She signed off 2025 in style by completing a memorable double over the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Fourth Betika BingwaFest Championships at the Ulinzi Sports Complex. She won the 5,000m in 16:04.2 and then went on to secure the 10,000m in 33:18.7.

While elite athletics demands extraordinary sacrifice, Wanza says her greatest motivation comes from home. "Being a mother is the best thing to have happened in my life. It really motivates me to work hard and smart," she says.

"My daughter understands what I do, and she always enjoys seeing me training and also running. She is my biggest fan."