Reynold Cheruiyot/ FILEWorld 1,500m bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot believes there is far more to come after launching his 2026 season in encouraging fashion.
Cheruiyot's latest track assignment came at the Shanghai Diamond League on May 16, where he stepped up from the metric mile to test himself over the 3,000m.
In a fiercely competitive contest, the 2022 World U20 1,500m champion stormed to a personal best of 7:26.11 to finish second behind Germany's Mohamed Abdilaahi, who scorched to victory in a world-leading and meeting record time of 7:25.77.
Sweden's Andreas Almgren completed the podium in 7:26.48. The Shanghai showdown marked Cheruiyot's third career appearance over the 3,000m and his first since 2022 in Zagreb, Croatia, where he clocked 7:38.83 for second place.
American William Kincaid took top honours in that race in 7:38.83, while Australia's Morgan McDonald finished third in 7:39.05. Fresh from his strong showing in China, the 21-year-old expressed satisfaction with both the result and the statement it made about his form. "I am very happy with second place. It was a tough race due to the temperature, but I am happy with the result," he said.
Cheruiyot feels his smooth and consistent start to the year is a clear indicator that even bigger performances could be on the horizon as the 2026 season gathers momentum.
"This is very promising for the rest of the season," he added. However, the Kenyan middle-distance talent revealed he is managing a slight concern following the Shanghai race.
"I am having a lot of pain in my back, and now I want to check this," he noted. Despite that setback, Cheruiyot has pieced together a lively opening to his campaign.
He began his 2026 season at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10 as part of Kenya's mixed relay team. Running alongside Winfred Mbithe, Daniel Munguti and Purity Chepkirui, the Kenyan quartet narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing fourth in 22:42 behind Australia (22:23), France (22:26) and Ethiopia (22:34).
Cheruiyot then turned on the jets at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour on February 14, powering to victory in the 2km race in 5:52, with Munguti (5:53) and Timothy Cheruiyot (5:54) trailing in his wake. His first track outing of the year came indoors at the Meeting Hauts-de-France on February 19, where he endured a below-par run, finishing ninth in the 1,500m in 3:42.27.
But he quickly rediscovered his rhythm. At the Kip Keino Classic on April 24, Cheruiyot produced a polished display to finish second in the 1,500m in 3:34.73, chasing home Olympic and world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who triumphed in 3:34.11.
Cheruiyot first announced himself on the global stage in 2022 when he captured the World U20 1,500m title in Cali, Colombia, clocking 3:35.83. He followed that up by conquering the continent in 2023 at the African U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia, once again claiming 1,500m gold in 3:33.65.
Last year, the rising Kenyan star secured his first senior global medal at the Tokyo World Championships, clinching bronze in 3:34.25. Portugal's Isaac Nader claimed gold in 3:34.10, while Britain's Jake Wightman settled for silver in 3:34.12.
