Kenyan 400 metres record holder Mercy Oketch has added yet another national record to her collection.
Oketch, 23, broke the 400m Indoor National Record for the third time within two weeks when she blasted to victory at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel in France on Sunday.
Her winning time of 51.53 seconds also hit the qualifying standards for the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships set for March 20 to 22 in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland.
Oketch edged out Mary John Yemi from Great Britain to second place in 51.55 as home athlete Amandine Brossier clocked 51.66 to settle for third place.
National 400m record holder Mercy Adongo Oketch during the interview in Ngong on June 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Oketch, who is participating in the World Indoor Tour for the first time, shattered the Kenyan record for the first time when she clocked 52.98 to win at 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, just a year before the World Athletics Indoor Championships were introduced.
Oketch lowered her national record for the second time by 0.73 seconds, clocking 52.25 to finish third at the Madrid Indoor Tour on February 6 in Spain. Dutchwoman Lieke Klaver won the race in 51.26 with Blanca Hervas of Spain second in 51.59.
The Kenya Defence Forces runner again lowered the record by 0.72 seconds to become the most accomplished Kenyan female runner in indoor 400m.
“It seemed easy but challenging since this was my first time running on an indoor track. Quite interesting, I must say, but I thank God for the three-peat record feat,” said Oketch, who is hoping to make the Team Kenya squad for the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
World Athletics have allocated Kenya only six slots for the Indoor Championships. Kenya will name their team after this weekend.
Oketch, if picked, will make history as the second Kenyan woman to compete in women’s 400m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships after sprinter Esther Kavaya.
Kavaya was the first Kenyan woman to compete during the second edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in 1987 in Indianapolis, USA.
National 400m record holder Mercy Adongo Oketch during the interview in Ngong on June 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Kavaya lost in the preliminary round with a time of 58.23 to be ranked 17th overall. Sabine Busch of East Germany, now Germany, won gold in a championship record time of 51.66.
Oketch holds the 400m (outdoor) national record of 50.14 set at the 2025 Kip Keino Classic on May 31, last year at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Langata, in Nairobi.
She is the 2024 Africa Military Games 400m silver medallist as well as the 2025 world 4x400m mixed relay bronze medallist. She won back-to-back Kip Keino Classic 400m titles in 2024 and 2025.
