After failing to qualify for the Tokyo World Championships, 2019 African race walk champion Samuel Gathimba has shifted his gaze to Brazil for the 2026 World Race Walking Championships slated for April in Brasilia.
The seasoned 37-year-old, chasing a fifth World Championships appearance, was targeting the 1:19:20 qualifying mark in the 20km race walk during the July 22 national trials at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
But despite striding to victory, his 1:23:57 finish left him outside the standard, with Stephen Ndangiri (1:26:27) and Dominic Mwende (1:31:19) rounding out the podium.
In an exclusive interview, Gathimba said his focus now is on sharpening his form for a busy 2026 season, which kicks off with the World Race Walk Championships.
"Our focus was to ensure we met the qualifying standards for Tokyo, but unfortunately, that did not go according to plan. The altitude was very high that day, and it was a bit difficult for us," Gathimba said.
"However, we have not given up. I have already started my training for the 2026 season, which has many events for us race walkers starting with the World race walk Championships, the African Championships and the Commonwealth Games," he added.
The African Championships will be staged in Accra, Ghana (dates TBC), while Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games from July 23 to August 2. Gathimba boasts an illustrious continental record with three African Championship titles from Durban 2016 (1:19:24), Asaba 2018 (1:25:14) and St Pierre 2022 (1:22:01).
At the Commonwealth Games, he took bronze in Gold Coast 2018, clocking 1:19:51 behind Australia's Dane Bird-Smith (1:19:34) and England's Tom Bosworth (1:19:38). Gathimba’s immediate target is to upgrade his Muscat 2022 bronze at the World Race Walking Championships into silver or gold.
In 2022, Gathimba clocked 1:23:52 to claim bronze behind the Japanese duo of Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:22:52) and Koki Imeda (1:23:29), who claimed gold and silver, respectively.
"I have already started my training for next season so that my body doesn't lose its form. In 2022, I was able to win bronze, and I would very much like to upgrade that in Brazil," he added. His last Brazilian outing, at the Rio 2016 Olympics, ended in a DNF, something he is determined to erase from memory.
Gathimba noted that his body is in pristine condition ahead of next season, eyeing nothing short of glory. "My body feels great, the only challenge at the trials was the altitude; if I had adjusted well, I am sure I would have made the time."
The veteran has also urged Athletics Kenya to establish an early specialised training camp for race walkers ahead of the 2026 season. "We need to have a camp for race walkers as early as October so that we may start preparing for 2026 competitions," he said.
Kenya’s race walking profile recently received a boost after World Athletics upgraded judges Benjamin Mbusya, George Kariuki and Joseph Ochieng to Silver Level. The upgrade to Silver level indicates that these judges have completed the World Athletics Level II Race Walking Officiating Course. Gathimba believes this will raise the country’s officiating standards.
"The upgrade of the three judges will lift Kenya's name on the international race walk stage. It is a step in the right direction."
"At the trials, we also had judges from outside the country come to officiate us, which was something very new for us; it shows that race walking is making waves in Kenya," Gathimba said.
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