Naomi Korir competes at the Sirikwa Classic/ HANDOUT
After a relatively quiet 2025 campaign, 2021 World Relays silver medallist Naomi Korir is plotting a thunderous return, with her sights firmly set on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Korir’s 2025 season was somewhat subdued on the track. She opened her year with a fourth-place finish at the National Cross Country Championships at Eldoret Sports Club over 2km, clocking 7:10.
She followed that up with a fifth-place showing at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country, timing 6:54 over the same distance.
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Her track campaign gathered momentum at the sixth Athletics Kenya weekend meeting, where she settled for second place in her 800m speciality, clocking 2:04.68.
Korir then embarked on a European circuit over the two-lap event. She finished second in Poland in 2:00.43, placed seventh in Italy in 2:00.99 and took 10th place in France in 2:05.95.
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She wrapped up her season on June 15 with a morale-boosting victory in Spain, clocking 2:01.45 to sign off on a high.
However, she did not feature at the Tokyo World Championships trials, drawing the curtain on a campaign that never quite caught fire.
The 28-year-old is determined to inject fresh energy into her 2026 season after having already made an emphatic statement early on.
She kick-started her year with triumph at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, storming to the women’s 2km title in 6:42, powering clear of Judy Kemunto (6:47) and Mercy Chepng’eno (6:54).
Korir believes the victory sends a strong signal ahead of the 2026 campaign. “This win is very important because I had been out of competition for a long time. I came here, and won, and I feel great. It gives me motivation,” Korir said.
Her primary ambition this season is to don the Kenyan singlet at the Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 23 to August 2, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. “My biggest target is the Commonwealth Games,” she added.
Earlier, Korir had hinted at stretching her range to longer distances on the track.
She, however, remains undecided on whether to double down on her trademark 800m or step up to the 1,500m when the Commonwealth Games trials come calling. “I am yet to know which event to focus on this year. By April or May, I will have decided together with my coach.”
Encouragingly, she says her engine is revving nicely as the season gathers pace. “My body feels great. I am progressing well, and I feel good,” she said.
Reflecting on her dominant display at the Sirikwa Classic, Korir admitted she had braced for a bruising contest given the depth of the field.
“I knew the competition would be tough because we had athletes from the 5,000m, 3,000m and also the junior athletes who are equally tough.”
After finishing fifth in last year’s edition, she arrived determined to rewrite the script. “I am glad I was able to win because last time I finished in position five. I tripped with 500m to go,” she recalled.
“I had done proper speed work before the race, and that really helped me with the finishing kick.”