If you blinked during the recent World Athletics Relays trials at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, you may have missed it — a quiet sprinting revolution unfolding at full throttle, signaling Kenya’s bold new ambitions beyond long-distance dominance.
A country globally revered for churning out marathon magicians and high-altitude milers is now packing batons and chasing relay glory with uncommon fervor.
Kenya, homeland of cross-country legends and altitude-forged endurance gods, is aiming for the World Athletics Relays, slated for May 10 and 11, 2025, in Guangzhou, China.
And this time, the names topping the start list include Ferdinand Omanyala, Mary Moraa and Kevin Kipkorir.
In what felt like a well-scripted sub-plot to Kenya’s middle-distance dynasty, the national trials at Nyayo National Stadium began under a curtain of morning drizzle, as if the skies were testing the nation’s sprinting resolve.
But by midday, the weather forgave and cleared, unveiling a sunlit stage where a newly minted relay team emerged, poised, with some baton finesse, to shake things up on the global stage.
The men’s 400m event was especially riveting. Kevin Kipkorir, a rising North Rift star, dipped at the line to clock 45.24 seconds, sealing his spot in the 4x400m relay team.
“The team is not bad. If we combine efforts, the results will be much better,” Kipkorir offered post-race, modestly. “I was aiming for 45-flat, but I’ll take this. We’ll polish it in training.”
Meanwhile, the women’s 400m pool delivered a compelling mix of grace and grit. From Mercy Adongo Oketch to Lanoline Aoko Owino, the list reads like a who’s who of the next generation of Kenyan speed merchants.
And then, of course, there’s Mary Moraa — the 800m world champion who now moonlights as a 400m anchor with the swagger of a seasoned sprinter.
The men’s 100m squad offers even more fireworks: six explosive legs led by Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, whose mere presence is enough to jolt a crowd to its feet.
Add in veterans like Mark Otieno Odhiambo and the youthful power of Meshack Babu, and Kenya’s 4x100m team suddenly looks less like an experiment and more like a final threat.
Out of the Shadows: Kenya’s Sprint Renaissance
Historically, sprinting in Kenya has been treated like a long-distance cousin who turned up in spikes instead of trainers—respected, but not quite understood. If you wanted fame, you ran 10,000 metres. If you wanted money, you ran a marathon. If you wanted puzzled looks and underfunded training, you ran the 100m.
But something’s changed.
“There’s a shift,” admitted Athletics Kenya President Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, watching the relay trials from the Nyayo stands.
“This marks the beginning of our journey toward Tokyo in September and beyond. And next year, Africa hosts the World Relays for the first time—we must be ready.”
Indeed, Kenya’s ambitions in Guangzhou are not just about medals. The event doubles as a qualification route to the Olympics, and for Kenya, it’s a statement: we can run short, too.
From Murram Tracks to Tartan Dreams
It helps that the venue of the trials, the iconic Nyayo National Stadium, is undergoing a much-needed facelift.
Plans are underway to install a new tartan track, replacing the time-worn surface that’s been trodden by generations of hopefuls and hobblers alike. Some athletes joked that the old track had “more history than grip.”
Once the new surface is laid, Nyayo could serve as the launchpad for Kenya’s sprint rebirth, giving young speedsters a chance to dream beyond 800m splits and cross-country hills.
Gallery Photos by: Peter Njoroge
The Baton Whisperers and Technical Crew
Led by Technical Leader Kennedy Tanui, the coaching bench — featuring names like Catherine Kagwiria, Stanley Towett, and Thomas Musembi — has been tasked with the sacred mission of improving Kenya’s baton exchange.
A sore point in previous relay outings, the “baton drama” has often made Kenya’s relay prospects resemble a Shakespearean tragedy: fast runners, tragic endings.
With the Guangzhou meet fast approaching, these baton whisperers are working overtime to build chemistry, coordination, and most importantly, trust.
“We recently came from China with poor performance and with no usual medals, accustomed to our running prowess. Going forward, we believe in the selected team to Guangzhou, and we are hopeful for medals,” Barnaba Korir, the Athletics Kenya Youth Development Director, told Pura Vida Sports Africa in an interview.
“We’ve always had speed. What we need now is flow,” said Coach Musembi, watching a practice handoff. “You can’t win with fumbling hands, even if you’re Omanyala.”
Guangzhou and Governance: A Tale of Two Tracks
The timing of the World Relays could not be more symbolic.
It will come just days after the hotly anticipated National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) elections.
As the athletics fraternity debates governance, athlete rights, and resource allocation, Team Kenya will be in China, sprinting — literally and metaphorically — toward a new chapter.
With “Team New Dawn” led by Barnaba Korir and Shadrack Maluki promising athlete-first policies and sport-specific investment, the hope is that the relay team’s performance could echo back home as a metaphor: progress through unity, precision, and shared responsibility.
From Guangzhou, With Speed
Kenya’s entry into the world relays is more than an athletic endeavor—it’s a cultural shift.
A country that once found comfort in the rhythmic pounding of long-distance strides is now embracing the adrenaline of the sprint.
Whether it’s Wiseman Were’s final-curve fire or Hellen Syombua’s poised baton finish, the Guangzhou games promise to be a stage where Kenya redefines its identity—fast, focused, and no longer just about the last man standing in a 10K.
Selected Kenyan Athletes to Guangzhou
100m Men:
- Meshack Kitsbuli Babu (KDF)
- Moses Onyango Wasike (Western)
- Isaac Omurwa Kundu (University)
- Steve Onyango
- Ferdinand Omanyala (Police)
- Mark Otieno Odhiambo (Police)
400m Women:
- Mercy Adongo Oketch (KDF)
- Mercy Chebet (South Rift)
- Esther Mbagari Okang’a (Prisons)
- Lanoline Aoko Owino (KDF)
- Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera (Southern)
- Gladys Mumbe David (Police)
- Hellen Syombua Kalii (Police)
- Mary Moraa
400m Men:
- Kevin Kipkorir (North Rift)
- Tinega Brian Onyari (Police)
- Allan Kipyego (Police)
- Kelvin Kiprotich Tonui (Nairobi)
- Boniface Mweeresan Ontuga (KDF)
- David Sanayek Kapirante (Prisons)
- Wiseman Were (KDF)
Team Officials:
- Kennedy Tanui – Technical Leader
- Catherin Kagwiria – Coach / Safeguarding
- Stanley Towett – Coach
- Thomas Musembi – Coach
- Simon Riga – Coach
- Edwin Kiptoo – Physiotherapist
ALL PHOTOS: PETER NJOROGE
Robert Kibet is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya. He previously worked as a correspondent for Milele FM. His feature stories on development, the climate crisis, the environment, conflict, human rights, food security, and education have been published in The Guardian UK, Reuters, IPS, DW, The New Humanitarian, and Equal Times.
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