Mercy Oketch during a training session at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on April 21, 2026.
History-making Mercy Oketch is just warming up.
Fresh from breaking the Kenyan indoor 400 metres twice, the Kenya Defence Forces Senior Private has now trained her gun on her own 400m national outdoor record at the Absa Kip Keino Classic scheduled for Friday at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The 23-year-old will not only be eyeing her national record of 50.14 seconds but also running under 50 seconds.
Okech recaptured her Kip Keino Classic title last year at Ulinzi Sports Complex in a new national record, breaking the previous time of 50.38 that had been held by Mary Moraa since July 7, 2023.
Okech first won the World Athletics Tour gold Kip Keino 400m crown in 2023.
Nigeria’s Falilat Ogunkoya holds the women’s 400m African record of 49.10 set when she won a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the USA.
Mercy Oketch takes a break after training at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on April 21, 2026
“You see, all these records are set to be broken, but first things first. I want to improve on my national record. I am looking at the African record, and my mind is racing. It has stood for 30 years. That is a long time,” said Oketch while appearing in NTV’s Monday night sports show SportOn! hosted by Elijah Ouko and James Wokabi.
“Running below 50 seconds, which is my target, can push me to an African record. I want to run pretty fast this year,” said Oketch, a former football player.
She said that her improvements at the start and top end speed will be key to her record attempt.
Kenya's Mercy Oketch ahead of heat 6 of the Women's 400m during the World Indoor Championships at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Poland on March 20, 2026.
Moraa, who is one of her mentors, has already promised her a good present if she runs under 50 seconds at the Kip Kieno Classic.
“Anything is possible at the Kip Keino Classic so long as the weather is cool and calm,” said Oketch, the 2024 Africa Military Games 400m silver medallist
She is also looking to qualify for her maiden Commonwealth Games from July 24 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Oketch started her season with the World Indoor Tour in Europe before making her first appearance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships held March 20 to 22 in Torun, Poland.
Not only did Oketch notch up her fourth consecutive 400m national record, but she also became the first Kenyan woman to reach the final of the championships.
She clocked 51.25 seconds to finish fifth in the final, slicing her own record by 0.32 seconds. Twenty-year-old Czech Lurdes Gloria Manuel won the race in a personal best time of 50.76.
Oketch became the second Kenyan to compete in 400m at the world indoors after legendary sprinter Esther Kavaya, who featured in the 1987 championships in Indianapolis, USA.
Oketch shattered the national record for the first time when she clocked 52.98 to win at the 27. Internationales Leichtathletik Hallen Meeting in Germany on January 24.
The previous national record of 53.34 was set by legendary sprinter Ruth Waithera on March 3, 1984, in Flagstaff, United States of America.
National 400m record holder Mercy Adongo Oketch during the interview in Ngong on June 4, 2025.
Oketch would then better the record for the second time by 0.73 seconds, clocking 52.25 to finish third at the Madrid Indoor Tour in Spain on February 6.
Oketch bettered her time for the third time in two weeks when she blasted to victory in 51.53 at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel in France on February 8.
On Friday, she will race against American Paris Peoples (personal best 50.60), a 4x400m gold medallist at the 2026 World Indoor Championships, Kenondra Davis (52.21) also from the USA and Norwegians Lakeri Ertzgaard (51.92) and Josefine Tomine Eriksen (52.28).
Foreign stars start arriving on Sunday.
Paris Olympics 200m champion Gabby Thomas from the USA, women’s100m defending champion Maia McCoy and Paris Olympics 400m bronze medallist, Muzala Samukonga from Zambia, are aready in Nairobi.
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