Athletics

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..

The United States has released its entry list for the upcoming World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, slated for Friday, 2 to Saturday, 3 May.While the squad still boasts depth, the absence of some of its biggest sprint stars has quickly become the main talking point.Fresh from impressive performances at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, both Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson are missing from the roster, just days after leading Team USA to dominant 4x100m victories. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9698383##Lyles anchored the men’s team to a world-leading 37.78 seconds, while Richardson powered the women to a 41.70 finish. Their omission from the Botswana-bound squad has raised eyebrows, coming at a time when both appeared to be in peak form.In the men’s 4x100m, the USA will rely on Pjai Austin, Ronnie Baker, Brandon Carnes, Kyree King, and Courtney Lindsey. The absence of Lyles and Christian Coleman is particularly striking when compared to last year’s golden lineup at the World Athletics Championsh..

Kenyan stars delivered a historic double at the Boston Marathon on Monday, 20 April, with John Korir and Sharon Lokedi not only defending their titles but also securing impressive financial rewards.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKorir headlined the day with a sensational performance, clocking 2:01:52 to win the men’s race and rewrite the course record books.Government issues update on Talanta Stadium weeks to CAF President visit (PHOTOS)The Kenyan obliterated the long-standing mark of 2:03:02 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, slicing off more than a minute from a record that had stood for 15 years.The race began as a tightly contested affair, with Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha setting a demanding early pace and leading the pack through the halfway mark in 1:01:43.##NAJAVA_MECA_9693727##However, the defining moment came at the infamous Heartbreak Hill. As rivals began to fade, Korir surged decisively, breaking away from the field and never looking back.By the time he hit Boylsto..

2024 World Under-20 5000m champion Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi is set to make his senior team debut after earning selection to represent Kenya at the upcoming Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana from Tuesday, 12 to Sunday, 17 May.Alamisi will line up in the men’s 5,000m alongside Dennis Kemboi and Laban Kosgei, forming a strong Kenyan contingent for the continental showpiece.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsDespite finishing second at the national trials, Alamisi has limited expectations heading into his first senior assignment, citing insufficient preparation time due to his ongoing training at Kiganjo Police Training College.“I have been at the Kiganjo Police Training College, so I haven’t had enough time to train. But even when I get just an hour, I make the most of it, and that is what I relied on during the trials. I thank God for that,” the youngster said.##NAJAVA_MECA_9690574##His path to qualification showcased both resilience and efficiency. He clocked 14:05.4 to fini..

Defending champions Sharon Lokedi and John Korir delivered commanding performances to retain their crowns at the Boston Marathon on Monday, 20 April, the latter storming to victory in a course record time of 2:01:52.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsHis run not only secured back-to-back titles but also marked a historic feat, becoming one of the few athletes to successfully defend the title in the race’s 130-year history.Kenyan youngster on course to challenge Faith Kipyegon’s 1,500m world recordKorir’s unofficial winning time of 2:01:52 shattered the long-standing course record of 2:03:02 set by fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, a race that, like this year’s edition, was aided by favourable tailwind conditions.Having stayed within a tightly packed lead group for much of the race, Korir made his decisive move after the two-thirds mark. He surged to the front around the 20th mile and never looked back, gradually stretching his lead with a ruthless solo run over the final s..

The conversation around Faith Kipyegon’s seemingly untouchable 1,500m world record has taken a fresh turn following a remarkable run by emerging Kenyan talent Rosemary Longisa in the NCAA circuit.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsOn Sunday, 19 April, the sophomore delivered a statement performance, clocking 4:02.55 in the 1,500m, the fastest outdoor time recorded in the NCAA since 2009.Why Mercy Chebet is confident of faster time at Kip Keino ClassicThe mark places her as the second-fastest in NCAA history, behind only Jenny Barringer, who set the collegiate record of 3:59.90 in June 2009.While Longisa’s time still sits nearly six seconds outside Kipyegon’s world record of 3:48.68, the performance has sparked conversations about the next wave of challengers in women’s middle-distance running.##NAJAVA_MECA_9684814##Her run not only elevated her standing globally but also saw her leap from 134th to 20th on the all-time list of Kenyan women over the distance.Representing Townhal..

Mercy Chebet believes she is on the cusp of a breakthrough performance as she builds momentum ahead of a packed 2026 international schedule. The Kenyan quarter-miler is targeting a faster time at the upcoming Kip Keino Classic.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsChebet heads into the meet buoyed by an impressive showing at the national trials for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships, where she showed her dominance in the women’s 400m. Atlanta Dream players and coach excited to welcome Madina Okot [VIDEO]She cruised through the semifinal in 52.99 before stepping up in the final to clock 51.94, finishing well ahead of her closest challengers. Shida Leni settled for second in 52.86 while Hellen Syombua completed the podium in 53.91.Her strong form earned her a spot on the Kenyan team alongside Syombua and Maureen Nanjala for the continental championships set for Tuesday, 12 to Sunday, 17 April at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra.##NAJAVA_MECA_9690573##However, before ..

Kenyan-born Bahraini star Winfred Yavi is set for a return to the Rome Diamond League after a two-year absence, headlining a glittering cast of Olympic champions at the iconic Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, 4 June.Yavi, who struck headlines in 2024 at the same venue with the second-fastest women’s 3000m steeplechase time in history, missing the world record by just 0.07 seconds, returns with on a different assignment this time.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe 27-year-old will compete in the 5000m, where she is expected to face stiff competition from Italy’s home favorite Nadia Battocletti.While the steeplechase remains her signature event, Yavi has steadily proven her range on the track. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9690574##At the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, she delivered a commanding double, clinching gold in both the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m. Her finishing kick was particularly decisive in the latter, as she surged ahead in the final lap to seal victory.Her 5000m cred..

Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki and Michael Selelo Saoli achieved a Kenyan double at the São Brás Cross, the first WMRA Mountain Running World Cup event of the year, in Castro Daire, Portugal, on Sunday, 19 April.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe São Brás Cross made an immediate impression on its World Cup debut. Classified as a classic up & down race, the 10.9km route with 628 metres of ascent was a fitting season opener for the World Cup.In the women’s race, Great Britain’s defending World Cup champion Scout Adkin headed a breakaway group, closely followed by one of the breakout stars of last year’s World Cup, Nélie Clément of France, plus World Championships classic race runner-up Gitonga Mwihaki and Elle Twentyman, with Marie Nivet 15 seconds behind.Kenyans dominate half marathons in BelgradeFor the men, as expected, it was last year’s World Cup third-place finisher Selelo Saoli who set the early pace. He was joined initially by a group of nine, including Théodore Klein of Franc..