The Kip Keino Classic hosted Olympic and World champions and 200 other athletes looking for performances, times and standards worthy of the namesake of the event.

The Kip Keino Classic is an athletics track and field meet held at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. The events is named after Olympian Kipchoge “Kip” Keino. The inaugural edition took place in 2020 as part of the first World Athletics Continental Tour.

The venue sits at 1,612 metres in elevation, or one mile of altitude. All marks set here are considered “at altitude,” which is an advantage to short, explosive events like the sprints and jumps but a disadvantage for middle and long-distance runners due to the availability of less oxygen.

In the women’s sprints, the USA’s Gabby Thomas won two events, clocking 11.01 and 21.89 seconds in the 100 and 200, respectively. Meanwhile, Kenyans, not really known for their sprinting, won the women’s 400m. It was Mercy Adongo Oketch who took the single-lap event in 50.17. For context, the performance is strong, but the world record is 47.60 by Marita Koch, and the current fastest athlete is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with her 47.78. Nearly 1000 times sub 50.17 has been run. Oketch holds the national record, which she ran in 2025 at the same event, which is 50.14.

Canadian Camryn Rogers got her outdoor season off to a great start, winning the hammer throw with an 80.03 toss. She currently holds the Canadian and North American records at 81.13m. She won the Classic by nearly 5m.

In the men’s 100m, Ferdinand Omanyala sprinted the 100m in 9.96 for the win. Unfortunately, a 2017 doping ban continues to plague his reputation.

  1. Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran the 1500m event and won in 3:34.11. He is an 800m specialist, but for the second year in a row, opened with the metric mile. He bettered fellow Kenyans Reynold Cheruiyot, who rolled in at 3:34.73 and Kyumbe Munguti, 3:36.21 for second and third, respectively.

Wanyonyi is the defending Paris Olympic and Tokyo World champ. His personal best in the 800m is 1:41.11, while his 2026 Kip Keino Classic performance is his 1500m PB.

Canada doubled down on the hammer throw with Olympic champion Ethan Ketzberg winning with a long toss of 82.43m. Katzberg has a PB toss of 84.70, and like Rogers, it is the Canadian and North American record.

RESULTS

Women

100m (–1.1)

  1. Gabrielle Thomas (USA) — 11.01
  2. Cambrea Sturgis (USA) — 11.15
  3. Maia McCoy (USA) — 11.18
  4. Rayniah Jones (USA) — 11.42
  5. Chante Clinkscale (USA) — 11.45
  6. Semira Killebrew (USA) — 11.57
  7. Milcent Ndoro (KEN) — 11.76
  8. Lillian Aoko Owako (KEN) — 11.83

200m

  1. Gabrielle Thomas (USA) — 21.89
  2. Cambrea Sturgis (USA) — 21.93
  3. Milcent Ndoro (KEN) — 23.21
  4. Ashley Miller (ZIM) — 23.31
  5. Rayniah Jones (USA) — 23.88
  6. Charne Wansbury (RSA) — 24.02
  7. Jessica Wright (USA) — 24.16

400m

  1. Mercy Adongo Oketch (KEN) — 50.17
  2. Paris Peoples (USA) — 51.06
  3. Mercy Chebet (KEN) — 51.14
  4. Josefine Eriksen Aks (NOR) — 51.43
  5. Kenondra Davis (USA) — 51.46
  6. Astri Ertzgaard (NOR) — 52.37
  7. Leni Shida (UGA) — 52.85
  8. Ashley Miller (ZIM) — 54.67

800m

  1. Nigist Getachew (ETH) — 1:58.79
  2. Lilian Odira (KEN) — 1:59.15
  3. Habtam Gebeyehu (ETH) — 1:59.72
  4. Naomi Korir (KEN) — 1:59.94
  5. Judy Kemunto (KEN) — 2:02.10
  6. Aviwe Hoboloshe (RSA) — 2:02.31
  7. Pauline Muhonja (KEN) — 2:03.09

DNF: Sheila Chepchirchir (KEN)

1500m

  1. Mirriam Cherop (KEN) — 4:08.49
  2. Deseta Tadele (ETH) — 4:09.55
  3. Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) — 4:09.66
  4. Sifen Dageta (ETH) — 4:10.20
  5. Purity Chepkirui (KEN) — 4:11.09
  6. Winfred Mbithe (KEN) — 4:11.50
  7. Tsige Teshome (ETH) — 4:11.70
  8. Knight Aciru (UGA) — 4:12.81
  9. Beshatu Geta (ETH) — 4:15.31

DNFs: Faith Chebet, Vicody Chemutai, Mary Ekiru (KEN)

400m Hurdles

  1. Amalie Iuel (NOR) — 54.12
  2. Kemi Adekoya (BRN) — 54.60
  3. Paulien Couckuyt (BEL) — 55.47
  4. Bianca Stubler (USA) — 55.84
  5. Linda Angounou (CMR) — 56.41
  6. Elisabeth Slettum (NOR) — 56.59
  7. Jessica Wright (USA) — 56.87
  8. Martha Rasmussen (DEN) — 57.01

3000m Steeplechase

  1. Joyce Jepkogei Biwot (KEN) — 9:55.26
  2. Zeritu Daba (ETH) — 9:57.27
  3. Mercy Chepngeno (KEN)** — 9:58.40
  4. Anatasha Cheptoo (KEN) — 10:03.49
  5. Joyce Jepkorir (KEN) — 10:08.58
  6. Nancy Chepkwurui (UGA) — 10:09.73
  7. Sümeyye Erol (TUR) — 10:11.46

Hammer Throw

  1. Camryn Rogers (CAN) — 80.03
  2. Rose Loga (FRA) — 75.19
  3. Guðrún Hallgrímsdóttir (ISL) — 73.88
  4. Katrine Jacobsen (DEN) — 71.55
  5. Beatrice Nedberge Llano (NOR) — 69.06
  6. Janee Kassanavoid (USA) — 68.78
  7. Iryna Klymets (UKR) — 66.90
  8. Vanessa Sterckendries (BEL) — 61.44
  9. Roseline Rakamba (KEN) — 49.46

NM: Veronika Kaňuchová (SVK)

Long Jump

  1. Marthe Koala (BUR) — 6.77 (+1.7)
  2. Tionna Tobias (USA) — 6.49 (0.0)
  3. Esraa Owis (EGY) — 6.47 (–1.2)
  4. Yasemin Börekçi (TUR) — 6.29 (+1.2)
  5. Faith Kipsang (KEN) — 6.06 (–0.1)
  6. Rougui Sow (FRA) — 5.85 (+0.3)
  7. Martha Nyabuto (KEN) — 5.61 (+0.2)

Men

100m (–0.1)

  1. Ferdinand Omanyala (KEN) — 9.96
  2. Rivaldo Roberts (RSA) — 10.12
  3. Aaron Brown (CAN) — 10.15
  4. Pjai Austin (USA) — 10.17
  5. Sam Blaskowski (USA) — 10.21
  6. Brandon Hicklin (USA) — 10.21
  7. Mark Odhiambo (KEN) — 10.23

DQ: Gift Leotlela (RSA)

200m (+0.3)

  1. Sinesipho Dambile (RSA) — 19.77
  2. Bryan Levell (JAM) — 19.93
  3. Claude Bogognie (CMR) — 20.51
  4. Kyree King (USA) — 20.60
  5. Dennis Mwai (KEN) — 20.63
  6. Ronald Koech (KEN) — 20.65
  7. Chidi Okezie (NGR) — 20.74
  8. Elkana Sabila (KEN) — 20.86

400m

  1. Zakithi Nene (RSA) — 44.50
  2. Muzala Samukonga (ZAM) — 44.55
  3. Kelvin Tonui (KEN) — 44.95
  4. George Mutinda (KEN) — 45.30
  5. Brian Faust (USA) — 45.57
  6. Keitumetse Maitseo (BOT) — 45.68
  7. Antonie Nortje (RSA) — 45.94
  8. Dennis Mulongo (KEN) — 46.23

800m

  1. Kelvin Loti (KEN) — 1:43.63
  2. Alex Kipngetich (KEN) — 1:44.12
  3. Noah Kibet (KEN) — 1:44.44
  4. Biruk Tadese (ETH) — 1:44.92
  5. Kethobogile Haingura (BOT) — 1:45.29
  6. Nicholas Kebenei (KEN) — 1:45.56
  7. Ferguson Rotich (KEN) — 1:45.74
  8. Tom Dradriga (UGA) — 1:45.99

DNF: Khaled Benmahdi (ALG)

1500m

  1. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) — 3:34.11
  2. Reynold Cheruiyot (KEN) — 3:34.73
  3. Kyumbe Munguti (KEN) — 3:36.21
  4. Mathew Kipsang (KEN) — 3:36.27
  5. Brian Komen (KEN) — 3:37.79
  6. Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) — 3:38.16
  7. Vincent Keter (KEN) — 3:38.51
  8. Desetawe Tadese (ETH) — 3:39.06

DNFs: Mounir Akbache (FRA), Boaz Kiprugut (KEN)

5000m

  1. Cornelius Kemboi (KEN) — 13:09.31
  2. Frankline Kibet (KEN) — 13:10.70
  3. Jacob Krop (KEN) — 13:13.59
  4. Ishmael Kipkurui (KEN) — 13:18.68
  5. Denis Kipkemoi (KEN) — 13:21.85
  6. Laban Kosgei (KEN) — 13:37.99
  7. Andrew Alamisi (KEN) — 13:42.92
  8. Mubin Haji (ETH) — 13:43.90

DNFs: Abdisa Fayisa, Brian Kimwetich, Solomon Kiprop

10000m

  1. Kevin Chesang (KEN) — 28:31.50
  2. Mkulia Kipkandie (KEN) — 28:36.37
  3. Charles Kiboino (KEN) — 28:37.81
  4. Amos Kiprotich (KEN) — 28:57.86
  5. Titus Kibet (KEN) — 28:59.13
  6. Victor Kimosop (KEN) — 29:00.97

Hammer Throw

  1. Ethan Katzberg (CAN) — 82.43
  2. Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR) — 81.26
  3. Volodymyr Myslyvčuk (CZE) — 77.71
  4. Dániel Rába (HUN) — 72.83
  5. Mostafa Elgamel (EGY) — 66.84
  6. Dominic Abunda (KEN) — 62.70
  7. Adelbert Museveni (KEN) — 53.50

Javelin Throw

  1. Rumesh Pathirage (SRI) — 89.28
  2. Thomas Röhler (GER) — 83.33
  3. Douw Smit (RSA) — 81.19
  4. Julius Yego (KEN) — 79.87
  5. Leandro Ramos (POR) — 77.33
  6. Martin Konečný (CZE) — 75.91
  7. Manu Quijera (ESP) — 74.99
  8. Boniface Kilonzo (KEN) — 66.22

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