Who will be crowned Kenya's finest sportsperson?

It will be celebration galore as the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) mark 20 years today at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The late marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who will be honoured at the event, is one of the nominees for the 2023 Sportsman of the Year Award.

Kiptum, who might be feted posthumously, is up against world 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu, and world 800m silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Others in contention are volleyballer Simon ‘Kosirai’ Kipkorir and Kenya Sevens star Patrick Odongo.

Double world record holder Faith Kipyegon, is favourite to seal a hat-trick in the Sportswoman of the Year Award, where she is up against world 800m champion, Mary Moraa and women's world 5km record holder Beatrice Chebet.

Tennis sensation Angela Okutoyi and Harambee Starlets forward Marjolene Nekesa will be hoping to upstage the trio from athletics.

The death of Kiptum on February 11 brought to a halt the possibility of a marathon being run under two hours after he declared his intentions of attempting the feat in the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14.

Kiptum rewrote marathon history books as the first man to run under two hours and one minute in Chicago after timing two hours and 35 seconds on October 8, breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by 34 seconds.

Kipchoge held the world record of 2:01:09 set at the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2022.
Kiptum had on April 23 last year blown away the field to win the London Marathon in a course record time of 2:01: 25 seconds, beating the previous course record of 2:02:37 set by Kipchoge in 2019.

This achievement was enough to hand Kiptum the 2023 World Athletics Athlete of the Year out of Stadia Award- Male.

Simiu settled for silver in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships, Budapest, Hungary on August 20 and the World Half Marathon in Latvia on October 1.

Wanyonyi, 19, transitioned to the seniors with a solid showing in 2023, helping Kenya to the mixed relay gold medal at the World Cross Country Championships.

He then clinched silver in the 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in a time of 1:44.53, before winning his maiden Diamond League Trophy at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in September in a new Personal Best. (1:42.80).

Kipkorir is the first male Kenyan player to win the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) club title with Tunisian club Mouloudia Bousalem.

Kipyegon, the 2021 and 2022 Sportswoman of the Year winner, made history as the first woman to win both the 1,500m and 5,000m titles at a world championship during the global event in Budapest, Hungary. Before heading to Budapest, Kipyegon, 29, shattered three world records in less than two months in 1,500m (3:49.11) and 5,000m (14:05.20).

Chebet claimed a stunning victory in women’s 10km at the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February.

She settled for bronze in the 5,000m behind Kipyegon and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan at the World Athletics Championships. She sealed her third world gold medal at the inaugural 5km Road Race during the World Road Running Championships in Riga Latvia in October.

Moraa claimed victory in the 800m at the World Championships after Janeth Jepkosgei (2007) and Eunice Sum (2013).

Moraa broke her own 400m national record twice at Botswana Golden Grand Prix in April in 50.43 and during the trials for the Budapest World Championships in 50.38 in July at Nyayo National Stadium.

Other awards of the night will be the Most Promising Girl and Boy, Sports Personality with Disability, Team of the Year, and Coach of the Year. The school category will feature Team of the Year and Coach of the Year.

The schools’ section is returning to the prestigious awards after a three-year absence due to Covid-19.