Inside Kenya’s Golden 2025: The record-smashing athletics season

Kenya’s reputation as an athletics powerhouse soared to new heights in 2025, with its athletes shattering records across multiple disciplines. The Kenyan athletes dominated the world stages both in track and marathon events.
They demonstrated unparalleled excellence cementing the nation’s legacy in global sports.
Setting new records have become a normality in every season whenever Kenyan runners take to the track. And in 2025 the case was no different, Kenyan heroes delivered a spectacular season: world records, championship records, and sweeping domination across the women’s middle- and long-distance events.
The following athletes stood out for exceptional performances, making the year another one to remember for the nation.
Faith Kipyegon- The track queen
Faith Kipyegon (L) and Dorcas Ewoi celebrate after leading a Kenyan 1-2 in the 1,500m semifinals at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships/ Photo Team Kenya (x)
The year 2025 saw Faith Kipyegon solidify her status as the greatest female middle-distance athlete in the history of the sport with remarkable achievements.
The triple Olympic gold medalist re-entered the record books by breaking her own world 1500m record with 3:48.68 at the Prefontaine Classic (Eugene) in July improving her 2024 record by 0.36 seconds. A week earlier she had attempted to become the first women to run a sub-4 minutes mile but, falling short but setting a new world best of 4:06.42.
At the 2025 Tokyo World Championships, Kipyegon a mother of one (Alyn) stormed to a historic fourth world 1500m title and extended her streak of dominance in the event with a fifth consecutive global gold.
With her 3:52.15 winning time which was more than two seconds ahead of second-placed Dorcas Ewoi (3:54.92), the 31-year-old matched retired men’s world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj as the only other athlete in history to amass four 1500m titles at the championships (1997-2003).
Setting a world record in her signature event amid fierce competition, and then delivering when it counted at the World Championships, Kipyegon has earned herself a nomination for the 2025 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year by World Athletics.
Beatrice Chebet – The new long-distance star
Beatrice Chebet crosses the finish line to win the 10,000m race at the Tokyo World Championships. Photo Courtesy Track and Field Gazette (X)
Kenya’s golden girl Beatrice Chebet had a monumental 2025 season. She is becoming arguably one of the greatest in long-distance running history, which has deservedly earned her a spot on the nominee list of the World Athletics Female Track Athlete of the Year Award.
On 5 July in Eugene, USA, Chebet became the first woman to run under 14 minutes in the 5,000m race clocking 13:58.06, breaking Gudaf Tsegay’s 2023 record by two seconds.
In Tokyo, Chebet became only the third woman to complete the 5,000m-10,000m double at a World Championships after beating Kipyegon to the title in 14:54.36 continuing her unbeaten run in a 5000m or 10,000m race for two years, other than at the Kenyan national trials.
The 25-year-old, who emulated Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba (Helsinki 2005) and fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot (Daegu 2011), is also the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in both events.
Agnes Jebet Ngetich – Road racing record breaker
In the road-racing domain, Agnes Jebet Ngetich stood out by breaking barriers and establishing new benchmarks.
On 26 April, in Germany at the “Adizero Road to Records” event, she ran 29:27 for a women-only 10 km race — breaking the previous world record of 30.01 held by the late Agnes Tirop from 2022.
By achieving this milestone, she became the first woman to break the 30-minute barrier in a dedicated women-only 10 km road race.
Lilian Odira – Surprise 800m champion
One of the most dramatic stories of the season was Lilian Odira’s unexpected gold in the women’s 800 m at the World Championships. At Tokyo she stunned a world-class field to claim the 800m crown in a Championship Record of 1:54.62, outkicking Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and defending champion Mary Moraa -who settled for seventh place –  in one of the most dramatic finishes of the championships.
It was a personal best time by nearly two seconds, and afterwards the 26-year-old dedicated her gold medal to her two sons, who are four and two.
Her triumph helped Kenya become the first country in the history of the World Championships, and indeed global sports events, to sweep, in one edition, all the gold medals on offer in track races, from 800m to the marathon.
Faith Cherotich – Reclaiming steeplechase dominance
In the 3,000 m steeplechase, Faith Cherotich reminded the athletics world that Kenya remains the home of the steeplechase.
The 21-year-old contributed to the golden haul with a fearless performance in the 3,000m steeplechase, storming to victory in a Championship Record of 8:51.59 beating Winfred Yavi of Bahrain- the 2023 world champ and 2024 Olympic champ- by nearly five seconds.
This was ‘Little Faith’s’ first global gold after earning the bronze in 2023 and 2024. The championship record came despite the fact that race was run in warm and muggy conditions – 83 degrees, 76 dew point at start.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi – Men’s 800m star
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi battles off Marco Arop and Jamel Sedjati on his way to men’s 800m gold. Photo Courtesy/ AK/KELLY AYODI
On the men’s side, Emmanuel Wanyonyi stood head-and-shoulders as Kenya’s top global performer in 2025.
In Tokyo, Wanyonyi in a brave show led from gun to triumph in a Championship Record time of one minute and 41.86 seconds holding off the charging Sedjati Djamel of Algeria who settled for silver in a season best of 1:41.90.
Wanyonyi now joins Rudisha and Korir as the only athletes to hold both the World and Olympic 800m title concurrently.
His performance underscored Kenya’s resurgence in the 800 m, an event that has become increasingly competitive globally. Although Kenya dominated many women’s events, Wanyonyi was the sole Kenyan male gold-medalist in Tokyo — underscoring his exceptional output.
To top an exceptionally season, the 21-year-old has earned himself a a nomination for the 2025 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year by World Athletics.
Others who stood-out in the season with records are Ferdinand Omanyala who proved that Kenyan sprinters can also make headlines. At the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games he ran a 150m time of 14.70 s, setting an African record in that seldom-raced distance.
On the road marathon circuit, Kenyan excellence remained front and center — Sharon Lokedi delivered one of the standout performances. At the 2025 Boston Marathon she won the women’s title in 2:17:22, setting a new course record.
The 2025 season will be remembered for record breaking, depth and sweeps, versatility and big-stage delivery.