Athletes compete at the 2nd AK Track and Field weekend meeting/ TEDDY MULEIKenya's top track and field stars take centre stage today as the combined World Relays and African Senior Championships trials burst into life at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, ushering in a three-day spectacle of blistering pace, explosive power and heart-stopping duels.
Adding an extra layer of intrigue to the high-stakes showdown, Athletics Kenya (AK) has confirmed the inclusion of five refugee athletes, throwing down the gauntlet to the home favourites in what promises to be a fiercely contested selection battle.
The quintet, under the guidance of head coach Janeth Jepkosgei, the 2008 Olympic 800m silver medallist, joins a stacked field of over 800 athletes invited by AK for the trials.
Leading the refugee contingent is South Sudan’s 800m ace and 2024 Olympian Perina Lokure, alongside Lokoro Dario (5,000m) and Solomon Ayela Okeny (400m).
Sudan’s Kun Waar Liem, a 200m specialist and Ethiopia’s Abdifatah Aden (1,500m) complete the line-up.
Headlining the field events is Julius Yego, the 2016 Olympic javelin silver medallist, 2015 world champion and multiple African champion.
Yego, a five-time African champion, has long been the standard-bearer on the continental stage, with dominant performances at Porto-Novo 2012 (76.68m), Marrakech 2014 (84.72m), Asaba 2018 (77.34m), Port Louis 2022 (79.62m) and Douala 2024 (80.24m).
In the women’s javelin, 2023 African U20 silver medallist and national record holder Irene Jepkemboi leads the pack.
The throws arena will also see the heavyweight shot putters battle for supremacy, each aiming to breach the African Championships qualifying mark and book their ticket to the continental showpiece.
Three-time national champion Peter Mwangi is chasing a long-awaited breakthrough.
“The standard for the men’s shot put is 16.80m. We’ve been pushing hard in training to make sure we hit that mark at the trials,” Mwangi said.
The 42-year-old, who boasts a personal best of 16.34m, believes he is on the cusp of something special.
“My personal best is close to the entry mark, so I just need to step up and deliver when it matters.”
On the track, the sprint events are expected to provide some of the most electrifying moments, with the men’s 100m shaping up as a blockbuster dash.
The season's fastest Kenyan Brown Muthara leads the charge, lining up against a potent mix of seasoned campaigners and emerging speedsters.
Among the contenders are national champion Meshack Babu and Betika Bingwa Fest finals winner Moses Wasike, alongside veteran Boniface Mweresa.
In the women’s 100m, veteran Millicent Ndoro, fresh off an 11.04 victory at the BingwaFest finals, headlines the field.
She will square off against reigning champion Esther Mbagari and former titleholder Eunice Kadogo.
The one-lap specialists will also command attention, with national outdoor and indoor record holder Mercy Oketch spearheading the women’s 400m, while national champion George Mutinda anchors the men’s contest.
In the two-lap event, Naomi Korir arrives in red-hot form following her 800m triumph at the BingwaFest finals and will be out to assert her dominance.
However, she faces a stern test from former world champion Mary Moraa and world U20 champion Sarah Moraa.
Over the longer distances, BingwaFest 5,000m winner Miriam Kibet will be keen to extend her winning streak and punch her ticket to Team Kenya.
But the road to qualification is anything but straightforward, with rising star Maurine Chebor, the 10,000m BingwaFest champion and Janeth Chepng’etich, winner of the 10,000m at the third AK weekend meet, all poised to challenge her.
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