The 2019 African Under-20 10,000m race walk champion, Dominic Ndigiti, targets a strong comeback in 2026 after an injury-ridden 2025 season.
The 25-year-old said he has fully recovered from a nagging hamstring injury that derailed him this year and is now determined to reclaim his place among the country’s elite.
“The 2025 season has not been good for me. I sustained a hamstring injury, which derailed most of my ambitions. But now I feel okay and my body is responding well,” Ndigiti said.
His immediate focus is securing a place in Team Kenya for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships scheduled for April 2026 in Brasilia, Brazil.
“My main target at the moment is to ensure I make the team for the World Race Walking Team Championships in Brazil next year. That is what I am working towards,” he told The Star.
The global event will feature national teams competing in senior men’s and women’s 20km races, Under-20 10km events, and a new marathon race walk mixed relay. The overall team winners will be determined by the lowest aggregate points from the top finishers.
Ndigiti is aware of the stiff competition for selection, with only three competitors and a reserve set to make the final cut.
“Only three athletes plus one reserve will be chosen to represent Kenya, so I am confident I will be among those three,” he said. “The others I think I will be joining are Samuel Gathimba, Heristone Wanyonyi and Stephen Ndangiri, which will be a strong team.”
A regular on the international stage, Ndigiti competed at the 2022 edition of the championships in Muscat, Oman, where he clocked 1:35:42 to finish 43rd in the men’s 20km race. Gathimba claimed bronze after recording 1:23:52, behind Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:22:52) and Koki Ikeda (1:23:29).
The Athletics Kenya (AK) national trials are set for early 2026.
“AK will conduct the trials to select Team Kenya in either January or February. They may even opt to use the first weekend meeting to select the team,” he explained.
He has been putting in a strong off-season training block in Kisii, a region known for its high altitude and challenging terrain.
“I have had a long off-season, so I have been doing proper build-up in preparation for next year. I am training in Kisii, which has good mountains to build up my endurance. In December, I will now start to focus on speed work,” he said.
Ndigiti’s coach, George Kariuki, has been monitoring his progress remotely through tailored weekly training schedules.
“My coach sends me a training programme which I have to follow closely. Since he is far away, that’s how he ensures I’m sharpening myself. Sometimes he comes to check on me,” Ndigiti said.
In addition to the world championships, Ndigiti has his eyes on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
“The entry mark in the 10,000m race walk is 40:41. That is a mark I know I can achieve,” he said.
His personal best stands at 40:38, set in 2019 at Nyayo Stadium, a performance that underlines his potential to hit the qualifying standard.
Ndigiti commended AK’s continued support of race walkers, saying, “AK has really helped the race walkers. They find us races to go compete and test ourselves against the world’s best.”
by TEDDY MULEI
