400m sprinters George Mutinda (L) and Boniface Mweresa/ FILE

Kenya’s mixed 4x400m relay squad heads to the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, confident of securing the country's second global relay medal against sprint powerhouses.

The season-ending global showpiece, scheduled for September 11–13, will bring together the world’s finest track and field stars.

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is a new biennial competition created to crown the ultimate global champions.
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Qualification is reserved for reigning Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League winners, with the remaining places filled through the World Athletics Rankings.
The championship will also offer record prize money, with individual gold medallists earning Sh19.4 million. In the relay events, gold is worth Sh10.4 million, while silver and bronze will earn Sh5.2 million and Sh3.1 million, respectively.
Last Friday, while unveiling Kenya’s squad for the World Road Running Championships, Athletics Kenya also named six athletes to represent the country in Budapest.

Kenya’s medal hopes will rest on the experienced shoulders of veteran sprinter Boniface Mweresa, former national 400m champions George Mutinda and Mercy Chebet, national 400m indoor and outdoor record holder Mercy Oketch, alongside Kelvin Tonui and Lanoline Aoko.

The six have been entrusted with carrying Kenya’s ambitions against a formidable field featuring sprint powerhouses USA, Jamaica, Great Britain, Italy and Spain, with two additional teams expected to qualify before the September 1 deadline.
Kenya earned its ticket to Budapest after finishing among the top six at this year’s World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, where Mutinda, Chebet, Oketch and Tonui clocked an African record of 3:09.93 to finish fourth.

Mweresa believes the selected squad has the quality and depth to challenge for the podium.
“The selected team is strong and it also has some young good athletes,” said Mweresa. “We are positive we can run against the best of the best in the world because we are also highly ranked.”

Despite the confidence, the seasoned 400m sprinter insists Kenya will treat every opponent with respect.

“We will not underestimate anyone because the nations that will be there are the best of the best," he added.

Mweresa said it will not only be about winning a medal but also improving the African record.

“At the World Relays in Botswana, the team ran 3:09, an African record. If we can run 3:08, we are sure to be in the top three," he said.
“For the men’s side we have to ensure we are running 44.43 or even lower, and for the women’s around 48 or 49 so that we can achieve the goal.”

The squad will also be seeking redemption after suffering heartbreak at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where a strong podium challenge ended in disqualification.
“The target is to ensure we come back home with a medal,” Mweresa added.
Kenya’s mixed relay team first etched its name in the history books at the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, by winning the nation’s first-ever global relay medal.
The quartet of David Sanayek, Mercy Chebet, Brian Tinega and Mercy Oketch claimed bronze in 3:13.10, behind champions USA, who set a championship record of 3:09.54, and Australia, who clocked 3:12.20.
In Tokyo last year, Brian Tinega, Mercy Oketch, Allan Kipyego and Mary Moraa appeared destined for another podium after clocking 3:10.73, only for their campaign to end in heartbreak after they were disqualified for a lane infringement.
Mutinda says the painful memory has only strengthened the team’s resolve.

“We are targeting a podium finish in Budapest. We came close in Tokyo; this time we promise to come back home with a medal,” he said.
Although the domestic sprint season has concluded, Chebet insists the squad remains in peak condition heading into the championship.
She believes Kenya’s greatest weapon will be the chemistry built within the relay squad.
“We are going to work on our team chemistry to ensure we fight for that podium place in Budapest,” she observed.

The team is scheduled to report to camp on September 1 to fine-tune their chemistry, baton handling and speed.