In Tokyo
Kenya became the first country in the history of the World Athletics Championships, and indeed global sports events, to win, in one edition, all the gold medals on offer in track races, from 800m to marathon.
This monumental feat was achieved by Kenyan women who, remarkably, won gold in 800m; 1,500m; 3,000m steeplechase; 5,000m; 10,000m; and marathon.
In all, the gallant Kenyan women won six gold medals and one silver as the nine-day 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships came to an end yesterday at Japan National Stadium.
Africa 800 metres silver medallist, Lilian Odira ensured Kenya permanently etched its name in the annals of world athletics, when she timed her finish to perfection in the final of the two-lap affair to complete a clean sweep of the women’s middle and long distance races in Tokyo.
Minutes before the heavens opened, Odira upstaged her compatriot, world champion Mary Moraa, and reigning Olympics champion Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain, to win in a championship record and personal best time of 1 minute, 54.62 seconds. The previous championship record had survived for 42 years.
Thus Kenya finished second on the medal table with 11 awards -- seven gold, two silver and two bronze. As expected, giants USA topped the table with 25 medals -- 15 gold, five silver, and five bronze.
Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir celebrates after winning the women's marathon final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 14, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
What a championship it has been, particularly for the unstoppable Kenyan ladies.
Peres Jepchirchir, 31, won Kenya’s first gold medal of the championship in women’s marathon on day one, then Beatrice Chebet clinched gold medals in women’s 10,000m and 5,000m, while Faith Cherotich took home the 3,000m steeplechase title.
Faith Kipyegon claimed gold in women’s 1,500m, before Odira showed her remarkable improvement.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the women's 1,500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 16, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Emmanuel Wanyonyi is the only Kenyan athlete who won gold medal in the men’s category, the 25-year-old triumphing in 800m to add the world title to his 2024 Olympic Games gold.
Edmund Serem won bronze medal in men’s 3,000m steeplechase, and Reynold Cheruiyot took silver in men’s 1,500m.
“We Knew Mary (Moraa) is normally fast in the first 400m, and we planned for this. She was to go there and make the race fast, then we would follow and let things play out on the next 400m. We worked as a team to ensure the world title remains at home. I thank God, my team mates and the fans. I am happy for my friend Mary and Sarah,” the 26-year-old from Migori County said.
Kenya's Faith Cherotich celebrates winning the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
“I registered my personal best time at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and that showed me it can be done. We went back to the drawing board, and started from scratch. I competed in a lot of local cross country races. I competed at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, where things did not go well. I picked up the pieces, and here I am now as the world champion,” Odira said.
“I was the underdog in the race, but I stayed in the race with the rest of the athletes and broke away at the right time. In the last 20 metres, I felt that everybody else was tiring. I had some energy still left in me, so I pushed some more and won. We wanted the gold medal so badly,” she said.
