Athletics

World-record marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has explained the real reason behind his visit to Real Madrid’s iconic home, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, on Wednesday, 25 February, saying the trip was about more than football or sightseeing.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsThe Kenyan runner shared on Instagram and Facebook on Thursday, 26 February, that his visit to the Spanish capital was tied to expanding opportunities for young athletes.##NAJAVA_MECA_9555539##Kipchoge said he was delighted to spend time in Madrid, including a stop at the Bernabéu, as part of a broader youth-focused initiative.He highlighted the upcoming Abbott Dream Team program, which aims to give youth soccer players in the United States an opportunity to train with one of the world’s most successful football clubs.“In 2026, the @abbottglobal Dream Team will give youth soccer players from the U.S. the chance to train with one of the world’s greatest clubs and see how champions prepare,” Kipchoge wrote.Throug..

A total of seven Kenyan athletes will not take part in this weekend’s 2026 Tokyo Marathon scheduled for Sunday, 1 March.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThis comes after the race organizers on Friday, 27 February published a list of withdrawals and new entries for the World Athletics Platinum Label road event in the Japanese capital.Among those missing is Timothy Kiplagat, who as per the organizers, withdrew due to injury.小山直城と西山和弥が欠場、登録最速タイムのキプラガト、メンゲシャも故障のため回避／東京マラソン男子は日本記録保持者の大迫傑を筆頭に、鈴木健吾、近藤亮太らが出場予定となっている。#東京マラソン｜月陸Online https://t.co/R7ACpfQYgm— 月陸Online／月刊陸上競技 (@Getsuriku) February 17, 2026 Kiplagat, who finished second at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon with a personal best time of 2:02.55, had been among the big headlines for this year’s race, given he was the fastest in the field that will now bring together 109 elite men athletes.Kiplagat’s aforementioned time put him ahead of the Kenyan duo of Alexander Mutiso and Vincent Kipkemoi, who will all look to unseat the defending ch..

Kenyans Kennedy Kimutai and Jackline Cherono, 2025 winners of the HOKA Paris Half Marathon in 1:00:16 and 1:07:14, respectively, will be on the starting line for this year’s event with race records likely in jeopardy.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsThe race is set for International Women’s Day, Sunday, 8 March, with Kenya, winners of 22 of the 32 editions since the first in 1993, starting as favourites, with two athletes having already dipped under one hour.Chepngeno, Ngeno to take on defending champions at Los Angeles Marathon on Women’s DayKimutai, 26, who clocked an impressive 58:28 in Valencia in 2021, the 19th fastest time in history, will be the man to beat.Having already etched his name into the Paris Half Marathon winners’ list with a time of 1:00:16, he intends to remain the king of the event. Parisians will recognise many familiar faces from the previous edition, as the top three finishers from 2025 will all be present.##NAJAVA_MECA_9555544##Timothy Kosgei and Timoth..

Vicoty Chepngeno and Dominic Ngeno headline spectacular fields that include defending champions Tejinesh Tulu and Matt Richtman at the 2026 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, set for Sunday, 8 March.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsPast winners and podium finishers will be headlining both the men’s and women’s divisions, with 24 athletes set to compete in the professional fields during the marathon’s 41st anniversary event.##NAJAVA_MECA_9555554##Ngeno, the 2024 champion here, carries a 2:06:37 personal best (PB) from his fifth-place finish at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris in April last year, which makes him the favourite.He faces Richtman, who, after becoming the first American man to win the event in more than 30 years, became one of the most recognisable and fastest U.S. marathoners. His winning time of 2:07:56 was the second fastest time in the history of the marathon on both its previous and current routes.Charlton manager weighs in on Sichenje’s performances since his ..

Athletes who breach anti-doping rules risk far more than a temporary suspension, as some violations could permanently shut the door on their careers.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsSpeaking during an anti-doping workshop organised by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) in Mombasa, Kennedy Mwai, Principal Education Officer at the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), outlined the range of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and the stiff penalties attached to them.Mwai emphasised that doping offences go beyond merely testing positive for a banned substance. Under the World Anti-Doping Code framework adopted locally, there are 11 recognised violations, each carrying specific sanctions depending on severity and intent.’AFC Leopards are good but we are best’ – Shabana coach ring war bells ahead of Sunday tie“The public often thinks it is only about testing positive, but the Code is broader than that,” Mwai told journalists during the session.Four-year bans for core vi..

Kenyan athletics has received a significant reprieve after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) formally removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from its compliance watchlist. This signals renewed confidence in the country’s anti-doping systems.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThe development marks a new chapter in the relationship between Kenya and the global anti-doping watchdog, ending more than a year of heightened scrutiny.Benson Omala among footballers suspended for whereabouts failuresADAK had come under WADA’s watch following an audit conducted in May 2024, which identified several critical shortcomings in its compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and related International Standards.During its executive committee meeting in September 2024, WADA considered declaring the Kenyan agency non-compliant after determining that key requirements from the audit had not been adequately addressed.However, in the weeks that followed, ADAK moved swiftly to remedy the situat..

Brigid Kosgei stormed to victory in the women’s race at the 2026 Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, 1 March, clocking a sensational 2:14:29 to shatter the course record and claim her second title in Japan.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsThe 32-year-old Kenyan, who withdrew from the 2025 edition, produced a commanding performance to break the previous course mark of 2:15:55 set in 2024 by Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede.Kosgei’s time also came within 25 seconds of her personal best of 2:14:04, the women’s-only world record she set in 2019.##NAJAVA_MECA_9561168##It took more than 20 miles for Kosgei to decisively pull away from Kebede, the two-time defending champion who previously owned the two fastest times in race history.By 30 km, the pair had dipped under a 2:15 pace, crossing the mark in 1:35:53, 13 seconds ahead of the chasing pack.Kosgei made her winning move shortly after, opening a 22-second gap by 35km (1:51:40 to 1:52:02).She maintained her relentless pace to win by more than ..

Miriam Chebet and Amos Kiprotich delivered commanding performances to win the third edition of the Kapsabet 15KM Road Race on Sunday, 1 March.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsChebet, a gold medalist over the 5000m and 10,000m during the Siaya meet, stormed to victory in the women’s race, clocking an impressive 49:33.4 to finish as the only woman under the 50-minute mark.She was followed by Judy Jepngetich (50:01.6) and Maryan Njoki (50:11.5), in a tightly contested podium battle.“It was a good race, and everything worked just as I had planned. I have been fine tuning on my speed work since winning in Siaya, and it is all paying off. I will sit down with my coach, reflect on the race, and plan what’s next,” Chebet offered.Brigid Kosgei blitzes course record to win second Tokyo crownIn the men’s race, Kiprotich edged a fiercely competitive field to take first place in 44:22.0 ahead of Philemon Rono Cherop (44:22.6), with Dennis Kipkurui rounding off the podium in 44:23.1.On his p..

Former Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, who was banned for Erythropoietin (EPO) back in 2014, has been suspended again by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsJeptoo’s suspension, for the ‘presence of prohibited substance/s S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)’, is dated Tuesday, 16 December 2025, and ADAK has provided no further details about the new case.##NAJAVA_MECA_9555498##She tested positive for EPO in September 2014 through her ‘A’ sample, which she had provided in Kenya two weeks before winning in Chicago.The 2014 Boston and Chicago Marathon champion received a two-year ban from Athletics Kenya, which was later increased to four years following an IAAF (now World Athletics) appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).PLAYER ANALYSIS: Collins Sichenje’s impressive metrics for Charlton Athletic against WrexhamOn 21 April 2015, CAS announced it had received two separate appeals pertaining to the ban. One, from ..

Kenya’s middle-distance queen, Faith Kipyegon, is the country’s sole nominee for the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, marking her third consecutive nomination at the prestigious global ceremony.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsKipyegon earned her place on the shortlist after a stellar 2025 campaign that culminated with clinching 1500m gold at the World Championships, becoming the first woman to win four world titles in any distance-running event.Marathoner Rita Jeptoo, 45, receives second doping ban 12 years apartThe awards ceremony will be held at the iconic Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, on Monday, 20 April, with winners to be selected by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.The 32-year-old headlines a competitive World Sportswoman of the Year category that also features Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, as well as sprint sensation Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who swept the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay world titles.##NAJAVA_ME..