The year 2025 will stand out as a golden chapter in Kenyan athletics. It was a season when the nation’s runners went beyond competition to rewrite records and reaffirm their place at the summit of the sport.
From the track to the global podium, Kenyan athletes displayed depth, resilience, and tactical brilliance. Their performances not only delivered medals but also emphasized Kenya’s long-standing legacy as a powerhouse in world athletics.
The following athletes went beyond the call of duty to deliver unmatched performances that set world records:
Faith Kipyegon
At the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Faith Kipyegon did what only legends do: she broke her own world record. The three-time Olympic champion clocked an astonishing 3:48.68, becoming the first woman ever to run the 1500m under 3:49.
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Kipyegon saved 0.36 seconds off her previous world record of 3:49.04, which she set in Paris in 2023.
Kipyegon also set a new African record in the 3000m at a Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16, 2025, which had been previously set by Beatrice Chebet earlier in the year at the 2025 Rabat Diamond League.
Beatrice Chebet
On July 5, 2025, Beatrice Chebet made history at the Prefontaine Classic as the first woman ever to break the 14-minute barrier in the 5000m, clocking an incredible 13:58.06.
Chebet's groundbreaking run shattered Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay's previous world record of 14:00.21.
Agnes Ngetich
On April 26, 2025, Agnes Ngetich achieved what no woman had done before in a women-only 10km race; she broke the 30-minute barrier. Running at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Ngetich clocked a stunning 29:27.
Hellen Obiri
On November 2, 2025, Hellen Obiri delivered one of the most dominant performances in New York City Marathon history. The two-time world champion regained her title by breaking the previous course record by nearly three minutes with a time of 2:19:51.
Obiri led an all-Kenyan podium sweep, with compatriots Sharon Lokedi finishing second in 2:20:07 and defending champion Sheila Chepkirui taking third in 2:20:24. Incredibly, all three women finished inside the previous course record of 2:22:31, which had been held by Margaret Okayo since 2003.
Lilian Odira
At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Lilian Odira produced a historic performance that broke one of the oldest records in track and field. She won gold in the women's 800m with a championship record time of 1:54.62, shattering a mark that had stood for 42 years.
Odira's time broke the championship record of 1:54.68 set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983.
Ferdinand Omanyala
On May 17, 2025, at the Adidas Atlanta City Games in the United States, Ferdinand Omanyala clocked 14.70 seconds in the 150m, improving his own African record.
Omanyala's performance bettered his previous African record of 14.89 seconds, which he had set in 2023.
The year 2025 was a testament to Kenya's lasting legacy as a global athletics powerhouse.
From Faith Kipyegon's world record in the 1500m to Agnes Ngetich breaking the 30-minute barrier in the 10km, from Beatrice Chebet becoming the first woman to run under 14 minutes in the 5000m to Hellen Obiri's course record in New York City, Kenyan athletes are living testaments that limits are meant to be broken.
