NAIROBI, Kenya, June 3, 2025 – Athletics Kenya (AK) is happy to announce that it will use this year’s Prefontaine Classic, the Eugene Diamond League meeting, to select the men’s 10,000m and women’s 5000m team to represent the country at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
The event will be held on July 5 at the Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in the United States.
Kenya has a rich history and connection with this prestigious event where several of our athletes have over the years shone and etched their names in record books with memorable performances.
In 2011, Moses Mosop became a double world record holder when he clocked 1:12:25.4 in the men’s 25,000m and 1:26:47.4 in the men’s 30,000m at this competition.
At last year’s edition, Beatrice Chebet set a new world record of 28:54.14 in the women’s 10,000m on her way to securing her ticket to the Paris Olympic Games where she went on to win two titles (10,000m and 5000m).
Joining her on the team to Paris was Lilian Kasait who finished third in that race after clocking (29:26.89) and Margaret Chelimo, who came fourth in 29:27.59.
In the men’s 10,000m, Daniel Mateiko (26:50.81), Nicholas Kipkorir (26:50.94) and Bernard Kibet (26:51.09) qualified for Paris after grabbing the top three places, in that order.
It is on the backdrop of these outstanding exploits that we are convicted that this year’s national trials for the two disciplines will be equally competitive, thus producing a final team of world-class athletes capable of sweeping the podium in Tokyo.
AK is grateful to the organizing committee of The Prefontaine Classic for providing us with this competitive environment and world class facilities to conduct this exercise.
Selection of the athletes to represent Kenya in the men’s 5000m and women’s 10,000m will be undertaken during the national trials set for at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue.
