Duathlete David Wanjiru during his race in Kilifi on Saturday/HANDOUTDavid Wanjiru completed a remarkable rise from third place to national champion after dethroning defending champion Lewis Kinyua at the National Duathlon Championships in Kilifi County.
Wanjiru, who finished third last year, clocked 1:02:39 to win the men’s title, beating Kinyua to second in 1:05:40, while Anthony Kinyua completed the podium in 1:07:32.
The victory capped a year of steady progress for Wanjiru, who had already shown his potential in Kilifi at last year’s Africa Duathlon Cup.
He finished third behind Kinyua, who was runner-up, but reversed the order this time around.
“I feel happy to achieve what I’ve been training for. The race was good. Everything was perfect, and my plan worked. It was to sprint on the run and manage the bike,” Wanjiru said.
His breakthrough came in the sprint-distance contest, where an aggressive running strategy and controlled bike leg proved decisive. Last year’s national championships at Kasarani featured separate sprint and standard-distance races, with Kinyua winning the standard-distance title and Hamza Bashir taking the sprint crown.
Triathlon Kenya coach David Ndatha said the increased field made this year’s championships more competitive.
“Competition, especially among the boys, was very intense. We registered more than last year. Even for the ladies category, competition was tight because the defending champion lost to the one who finished third last year,” Ndatha said.
Kinyua had to settle for second after a difficult bike leg on the rain-affected course. Technical corners, a mechanical problem and cramping disrupted his title defence.
“The run was good but the bike was a little technical. It had rained, and so the corners were tough, and I had a mechanical problem,” Kinyua said.
He also blamed a poor footwear choice for making the closing stages more difficult.
“In the final stretch, my prayer was on the shoe. I was really fighting to make it to the line in good condition, and I cramped on the bike course, and the final was tough. I had a bad shoe choice,” he said.
Kinyua admitted that the sprint distance was not his strongest event, having won the longer standard-distance race last year.
“Sprint distance is not my stronghold. Standard distance is what made me champion last year,” he said. He will now turn his attention to a half marathon and other competitions.
In the women’s race, Megan Irungu retained her national title after clocking 1:15:46 for gold. Bernice Kariuki finished second in 1:24:36, with Sylvia Atieno third in 1:29:57. Irungu said she was confident of retaining her crown from the opening run.
She found the new bike route smoother than last year’s course but said strong coastal winds provided the biggest challenge.
“Only the bike route has changed. It’s a bit smoother. It’s only the last section that looks so close but is actually miles away. The bike was polite apart from the wind,” she said.
Irungu’s victory adds to her impressive record in Kilifi. She won the 2025 Africa Duathlon Cup there in 1:13:56, with Kariuki finishing second in 1:19:07.
