Allan Kipyego during a previous training session/ TEDDY MULEI
400m sprint specialist Allan Kipyego believes fine-tuning his speed could be the missing piece as he plots an explosive and consistent season.
The 25-year-old has been a steady presence over one lap in the past few seasons, quietly building experience.
Kipyego first burst into the national spotlight in 2019 at the African Under-20 Championships in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where he finished seventh in 47.97 seconds.
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Gambia’s Modou Lamin stormed to gold in 46.91, with Zambia’s Luyando Mudenda (47.37) and Ethiopia’s Mustefa Edao (47.49) completing the podium.
The Kenyan sprinter launched his 2026 season at the second Athletics Kenya weekend meeting at Thika Stadium, where he delivered an encouraging but imperfect run.
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Kipyego clocked 46.4 seconds to finish second behind Kelvin Kipkorir, who won in 45.8, while Dandon Kibet sealed third place in 46.9.
Despite the podium finish, Kipyego admitted the performance fell short of expectations, attributing it to gaps in his speed preparation.
“I struggled a lot because I had not been doing enough speed work. I have mainly been focusing on loading,” Kipyego said.
He is confident that sharpening his raw pace will unlock a new level as the season gathers momentum.
“If I get to do proper speed work, I know I can be in good shape for the season,” he noted. “I hope to have a good season, and for that I know I have to work hard.”
Kipyego’s first major test of the year will be to chase a slot in Team Kenya for the World Relays Championships on May 2–3 in Gaborone, Botswana.
That will be followed closely by the African Championships from May 12–17, and then the Commonwealth Games set for July-August in Glasgow, Scotland.
He heads into the 2026 season on the back of a 2025 campaign that produced mixed results.
Kipyego opened last year’s season with victory in Uganda, where he timed 47.22.
He later featured at the 5th Athletics Kenya weekend meeting as part of the men’s 4x400m relay team alongside George Mutinda, Aaron Cheminingwa and David Sanayek, with the quartet clocking 3:02.30 to finish second.
They were edged out by a strong team of Kelvin Tonui, Boniface Mweresa, Brian Tinega and Kipkorir, who timed 3:00.87.
 Kipyego stretched his range at the 6th AK weekend meet, stepping up to the 800m, where he faded to 10th in 1:49.66.
He later returned to his favoured distance at the Kip Keino Classic, where he produced a solid fourth-place finish in 45.60, before narrowly missing the podium again at the National Championships, placing fourth in 45.03.
The season ended on a sour note at the Tokyo World Championships, where Kipyego, running alongside Mercy Oketch, Mary Moraa and Tinega in the 4x400m mixed relay, suffered a major setback after being disqualified for lane infringement in the heats.