In Glasgow
Heavy silence hung over the stadium in Glasgow on Tuesday night as Edwin Kurgat crossed the finish line in fourth place, sealing an unimaginable reality: for the first time since 1986, Kenya left the men’s 10,000 metres podium empty-handed.
On that cold night, the rain poured down on the track at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, perhaps mirroring the tears and disbelief of the millions of Kenyans who had hoped that Kurgat and his compatriots, Ebenyo Simiu and Ishmael Kipkurui, would continue Kenya’s 40-year medals tradition in the race.
Disappointingly, Simiu finished sixth, but in a season’s best time of 27:56.35, while Kipkurui finished 10th in another season’s best time of 28:04.66.
For decades, the 25-lap race had been a sacred procession for Kenyan athletes, guaranteeing them gold, silver or bronze medals, forged from high-altitude grit and an unmatched legacy.
This time, however, the script was violently rewritten in Scotland by Australian Ky Robinson, who surged ahead to claim gold. India’s Gulveer Singh and the Isle of Man’s David Mullarkey took the remaining medals.
The invincible aura of Kenyan distance running had been shattered, and the shockwaves were beginning to travel across the Rift Valley, the home of athletics, and beyond.
It was a night to forget, bringing a sobering reminder of Kenya’s loosening grip on the race, as the country and its athletes endured one of their worst evenings on the track.
Simiu, the 2022 Commonwealth silver medallist, had offered Kenya some hope. The runner was returning to the track after declaring several years ago that his days on the oval were over. However, it was Kurgat, who is based in the US, who emerged as the highest-placed Kenyan, clocking 27:50.98 and missing the podium by just 0.70 seconds.
“It rained heavily. The rain was terrible. It affected us mentally, but we had to be strong and continue with the race,” said Kurgat, who was making his Commonwealth Games debut.
Kenyans Ishmael Kipkurui, Edwin Kurgat and Daniel Ebenyo after the men’s 10,000m final at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland on July 28, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
“We can’t expect to have a good day every time, but some of our teammates had good results, like the steeplechase team. I think Team Kenya will win more medals in the next events,” he added.
Kurgat’s challenge was made even harder when another competitor stepped on his foot about 4,400 metres into the race, forcing his shoe off. He had to stop and put it back on, dropping from seventh to 14th position. This left him with about 11 laps to cover to make up for the lost time.
He eventually caught up with the leading pack with just 2,000 metres left, but the effort appeared to take its toll on him.
“As I tried to catch up with them, they increased their pace, so it was hard for me because of the earlier incident,” he said.
Kenya had high hopes for this race after the success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where Simiu won silver and Kibiwott Kandie took bronze.
Simiu, the highest-ranked Kenyan heading into the Glasgow race, was expected to better his previous performance and secure the country’s second gold medal of the Games.
However, the 30-year-old veteran could only manage sixth place in the race that marked his fifth competition of the year and his first track appearance.
“It’s amazing to be back and chase my dreams. I know I have unfinished business on the track,” he said.
Heavy rainfall and biting cold disrupted the programme at Scotstoun Stadium, with several events being delayed while athletes and spectators battled the bad weather conditions.
“Today was not our day, and I knew it from the start. Because of the cold, I knew qualifying would be very difficult. Athletes from Europe and Australia perform well in cold weather,” he said.
Robinson capitalised on the conditions to win gold in 27:48.93, improving on his sixth-place finish in Birmingham four years ago.
The 2022 World Cross Country Junior champion, Kipkurui, also struggled in the difficult conditions.
The men’s 10,000 metres outcome was like adding salt to injury as Kenya had suffered another setback when men’s 100 metres Commonwealth Games defending champion, Ferdinand Omanyala, was eliminated in the semi-finals.
Africa’s fastest man finished sixth in his heat in 10.19 seconds, ending his hopes of retaining the title he won in Birmingham in 2022.
Omanyala was gracious in defeat, admitting that the wet conditions had affected his performance.
“Let’s just say the body refused to fire, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Running in the rain is usually hard for me,” he said after his exit, which was shocking because Omanyala had been given a bye for the first round, allowing him to advance directly to the semi-finals.
His struggles in wet conditions are not new. He also finished sixth at the Kip Keino Classic two years ago, clocking 10.03 seconds in similar rainy conditions.
Debutant Meshack Babu, who also reached the men’s 100m semi-finals, finished eighth in the opening heat in 10.39 seconds — the slowest time recorded in the two semi-finals.
This double setback means that Kenya has surrendered three medals in these two events compared to its performance in Birmingham: one gold in the 100 metres and one silver and one bronze in the 10,000 metres.
