Agnes Ngetich celebrates taking gold and setting a women-only half marathon world record at the World Athletics Road Running Championships / HANDOUT
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano has congratulated Agnes Ng'etich and Rebecca Loleo for winning gold and silver at the Women's half marathon in Copehhagen, Denmark.
Ng'etich also set a new record of the women only marathon record by clocking 1:05:15, one second less from the previous record of 1:05:16 set by Peres Jepchirchir in 2020 at the World Half Marathon in Gdynia.
“Heartiest congratulations to Agnes Ngetich and Veronica Loleo for delivering a phenomenal 1-2 podium sweep for Kenya at the World Athletics Road Running Championships,” Miano said in a post on X.
Miano singled out Ngetich’s record-breaking run and Loleo’s silver-medal performance, describing the achievement as a reflection of the strength within the Kenyan team.
“Agnes set a breathtaking women's-only half marathon world record of 1:05:15, while compatriot Veronica Loleo displayed exceptional resilience and class to claim the silver medal in 1:06:05,” she said.
She also credited the wider Kenyan team for helping secure the team title.
“Together, alongside their teammates, they also secured the World Team Half Marathon title, proving that our dominance on the global stage is rooted in collective strength and depth,” Miano said.
The Copenhagen success comes at a significant time for Kenya as the country prepares to host the World Athletics Championships in Nairobi in 2029.
For Miano, the performances of Kenyan athletes offer an opportunity to showcase not only the country’s sporting strength but also its tourism potential as Kenya prepares for the historic event.
“As Kenya prepares to host the historic 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi, our athletes give us total confidence that we are ready to showcase sports excellence, world-class hospitality, and sustainable sports tourism to the world,” she said.
The 2029 championships will bring the world's athletics community to Kenya, placing Nairobi at the centre of global athletics and creating an international platform for the country’s sporting and tourism sectors.
Miano said the latest achievements by Ngetich and Loleo demonstrated the kind of sporting excellence Kenya will take into the preparations for the global championships.
“Kudos to Agnes and Veronica for flying our flag high. Magical Kenya is the origin of Champions,” she said.
With Nairobi preparing to host the global athletics championships in 2029, the achievements in Copenhagen have also offered a timely reminder of the depth of Kenyan talent on the international stage.
BBC Sport reported that Ngetich took control of the race early and continued to extend her advantage over the field before finishing 50 seconds ahead of Loleo.
Athletics had already recorded her as the world 10km record-holder and noted that she was heading to Copenhagen after winning the senior women’s title at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January.
Her Copenhagen triumph now adds the world half marathon title to her growing collection of global honours.
Loleo also delivered a significant performance, finishing second in 1:06:05 to secure Kenya’s second medal of the race. Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru took bronze in 1:06:08, while another Kenyan, Daisilah Jerono, finished fourth in 1:06:13.
The strong Kenyan showing extended beyond the individual podium. Ngetich, Loleo and Jerono combined to secure the women’s team half marathon title with a total time of 3:17:33.
The result provided Kenya with both individual and team success at the championships, reinforcing the depth of the country’s representation in the women’s half marathon.
