This Saturday, Kenya will play host to global athletics stars on the occasion of the sixth edition of Kip Keino Classic, the Kenyan round of the 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.
In many respects, athletics is coming home.
For starters, Kenya is home to world-conquering athletes, both in road, track, and field competitions.
A total of 126 athletes, 73 of them from Kenya, and 53 from the rest of the world, will compete at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday.
The Kenyan camp itself boasts a former world champion in Julius Yego, the gold medalist in men’s javelin at the 2015 World Athletics Championships, 2022 Commonwealth Games 100 metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala who is also Africa’s fastest man, and Africa 800m champion Sarah Moraa who is also the reigning World Athletics Under-20 Championships gold medalist in the two-lap race.
Secondly, Kenya is hosting the Kip Keino Classic, Africa’s only other gold label event in the World Athletics Continental Tour series, which speaks to the special status Kenya occupies in the athletics family globally.
Introduced in 2019, the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series forms the second-tier of one-day athletics competitions organised by World Athletics after the Diamond League.
The Botswana Classic, held on April 12, is Africa’s other gold label race in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.
Because Africa hosts just two out of 20 such gold label races spread across the world, we should endeavour to make Saturday’s meeting a success.
Organisers of Saturday’s championship have lined up a field befitting of a gold label event to compete for both prize money, and world ranking points.
They include two—time world javelin champion Anderson Peters from Granada, the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games champion in women’s hammer throw Anita Wlodarczyk from Poland, American sprinter Maia McCoy who won silver over 100m, and in the 4x100m relay at the 2024 African Championships, among others.
This year, the Kip Keino Classic which enters the sixth edition, will be held at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang’ata, Nairobi.
It has moved away from its traditional venue at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which is undergoing renovation. The Nyayo National Stadium which is the other alternative venue, fell behind schedule with regard to preparations.
Installation of a quality artificial running track at Nyayo National Stadium, a key requirement for hosting the meet, fell behind schedule.
Luckily, we got Ulinzi Sports Complex ready in good time for the event.
Despite the delays, I am very confident that we shall host a successful championship on Saturday.
Barnaba Korir is Athletics Kenya Director for Youth and Development, and Kip Keino Classic Meet Director.
