Athletics

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered a ruthless masterclass at the London Marathon, breaking her own women ’s-only world record to deny Kenya the top spot on Sunday, 26 April.Assefa stormed to the title in 2:15:41, shaving nine seconds off the 2:15:50 mark she set on the same course last year.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsBehind her, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei completed a breathtaking podium sweep for Kenya, clocking 2:15:53 and 2:15:55 respectively in one of the fastest women’s races in history.The London Marathon’s women’s race is classified as a “women ’s-only” event, run without male pacemakers, making Assefa’s performance even more remarkable.##NAJAVA_MECA_9702068##From the gun, the trio of Assefa, Obiri, and Jepkosgei stamped their authority, pulling away early to form an elite lead pack.Pushed along by pacemakers, they tore through the halfway mark in 1:06:12, well inside world record pace, and by 15km, they were already threatening to rewrite histor..

Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour barrier in the marathon, winning the London Marathon in an unofficial 1 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds.Sawe shattered the world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.Another Kenyan, Eliud Kipchoge, ran the marathon distance in 1:59:40.2 in 2019, but that did not come in a race under world record conditions.##NAJAVA_MECA_9702585##The runner-up on Sunday, Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, ran 1:59:41 in his marathon debut.More to follow…

At 37, 2015 World javelin champion Julius Yego seems to be slowing down and slowly transitioning into mentorship, but he is not done competing yet.The five-time African champion was in action at Nyayo National Stadium for the seventh edition of the annual Kip Keino Classic, opening his season with a 79.87m throw and settling for fourth.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsCompeting against a stacked field, the former Olympic silver medalist finished behind winner Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage who set a new meet record after hauling a monstrous 89.28m on his second attempt, breaking Belgian Timothy Herman’s previous record of 87.35m set in 2023.The 23-year-old says he came to Nairobi wanting to prove himself, being the world leader, and to compete alongside his mentors Yego and Thomas Roehler.It was a record-breaking moment as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage delivered a stunning 89.28m throw to win the men’s javelin and set a new #AbsaKipKeinoClassic Meet Record. 💥Thomas Röh..

Former Boston and New York City Marathon champion Helen Obiri is lining up for her first London Marathon race in Sunday 26 April, hoping to continue her winning streak in the World Marathon Majors.Aside from the 2024 Olympics, where Obiri earned bronze, all seven of her other marathons have been in the US. She has won twice in Boston (2023 and 2024) and in New York (2023 and 2025), smashing the course record with 2:19:51 with her latest victory.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsObiri who went back-to-back in Boston before relegating the title to compatriot Sharon Lokedi, settling for second last year and missing last week’s action in the American race says she is motivated by her fellow compatriot to chase the London title, which is a different challenge for the former World Champion.”Watching Lokedi win in Boston last weekend has added to my motivation for Sunday’s race. I didn’t get to travel to London ahead of time to check out the course, but my coach has raced here and h..

Rising star Kevin Chesang raced to the men’s 10,000m title at this year’s edition of the Kip Keino Classic, after clocking an impressive 28:31.50 to cross the line first in a tightly contested national event.Held at Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, 24 April and concluding under the Nairobi lights, on a night that the skies held off to give the global champions who had gathered at the 18,000-seater facility a chance to entertain the Kenyan fanbase, the day was filled with phenomenal performances throughout the day.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsIn a loaded race, the 20-year-old held his own to win ahead of Kipkandie Mkulia who came home in 28:36.37 and Kiboino Charles who closed the podium places in 28:37.81.Chesang’s victory marks another significant milestone in what has been a rapid rise through the ranks after an impressive show at the national cross country championship for second place.“The field was competitive but all along I was determined to win. Training in a hi..

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala reclaimed his Kip Keino Classic title in stunning fashion infront of an energized crowd on Friday, 24 April at the Nyayo Stadium. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe 30-year-old crossed the finish line in 9.96 seconds, marking his second consecutive sub-10 finish in as many races this year.Omanyala was fresh off a 9:98 victory at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix last weekend, and made sure to keep up his brilliant start to the season with a dominant show on what was Kip Keino Classic’s first event under the lights.##NAJAVA_MECA_9701869##More to follow…

Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered a statement performance under the floodlights, storming to victory in the 1,500m at the Kip Keino Classic on Friday, 24 April at the Nyayo National Stadium.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsWanyonyi clocked a personal best of 3:34.11 to take top honours in a tightly contested race, finishing ahead of compatriot Reynold Cheruiyot, who timed 3:34.73, while Kyumbe Munguti completed the podium in 3:36.21. Matthew Kipsang (3:36.27) and Brian Komen (3:37.79) rounded off the top five.WANYONYIIIIII 🤩Home favourite, 🇰🇪’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi doesn’t run the 1500m often, but when he does, he makes a statement 👏⏱️ 3:34.11 PB in Nairobi at the Kip Keino ClassicTune into the livestream now 👉 https://t.co/JsQAE0GUen#ContinentalGoldTour pic.twitter.com/x7RTFouVQG— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) April 24, 2026 Despite being widely known for his dominance in the 800m, Wanyonyi once again proved his versatility over the longer distance, a race ..

Kenya’s athletics future emphatically took centre stage as rising talents dazzled during the inaugural U20 competition at the Kip Keino Classic held on Friday, 24 April at the Nyayo National Stadium.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsIntroduced for the first time, the U20 races brought together top performers from the recently concluded Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national games in Kisumu. The young athletes seized the moment, delivering performances that showcased the country’s depth in middle and long-distance running.The women’s programme featured the 800m and 3,000m flat races, while the men competed in the 800m, 3,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase.##NAJAVA_MECA_9701869##In the women’s 800m, Nancy Kibet stormed to victory in 2:03.21, edging out Nancy Jepngetich (2:03.43) and Caren Jepchirchir (2:03.82) in a tightly contested race. Despite a slow start, Kibet expressed confidence ahead of the upcoming national trials.“I am targeting the World Under-20 Cha..

Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe predicts that whoever wins the London Marathon this weekend will likely have to break the course record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsSawe, 31, is among a list of top-class athletes, who will headline the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday, 26 April.“The TCS London Marathon course is one of the most beautiful and fastest courses in the world,” Sawe, who comes into this year’s race as the defending champion, said on Thursday, 23 April.“It was my first time running in London last year, and it was one of the proudest moments of my life to cross the line as champion. I am excited to be coming back in 2026, and I know now a little bit more about what I can expect.”Kamworor unfazed by elite field ahead of London Marathon showdownSawe, a former World Athletics Road Running champion, made his debut in London last year a memorable one, as he won the race in a dominant 2:02.27, clocking the sec..

American sprinter Cambrea Sturgis has sent an early statement ahead of her first appearance at the Absa Kip Keino Classic, declaring she is ready to take on some of the biggest names in women’s sprinting.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe 27-year-old arrived in Nairobi earlier this week and will line up at Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, where she is expected to face defending 100m champion Maia McCoy and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas.##NAJAVA_MECA_9698383##Thomas, who had initially entered the 400m, has since switched plans and will now double in both the 100m and 200m races, setting up a high-quality sprint showdown in the capital.Sturgis, also competing in both events, believes such elite competition is exactly what she needs to elevate her performance this season.“I like competing against Gabby, she pushes me beyond my limits, she has made me a better athlete by running faster and improving on my timings,” she said upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Air..