Team Kenya’s race walkers require greater exposure to international competition to realise their full potential, team manager Joseph Ochieng has said following the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Brasília 2026.
Speaking on Wednesday morning after the team returned from Brazil, Ochieng said the squad performed beyond expectations, despite finishing eighth overall in the men’s race walk category. Traditional powerhouses China, Italy and Spain claimed the top three positions respectively.
In the individual standings, three-time African champion Samuel Gathimba was Kenya’s top finisher, placing 14th in 3:13:20. Former World U20 champion Herristone Wanyonyi followed in 25th position after clocking 3:17:47.
The rest of the Kenyan contingent saw Felix Kipkemoi finish 40th in 3:35:01, Stephen Ndangiri place 42nd in 3:36:04, and Peter Muigai come in 45th in 3:46:39. In the junior women’s race, Kenya’s sole representative, Merceline Wanjala, impressed with a 19th-place finish, setting a personal best of 50:44.
Meanwhile, in the women’s half-marathon race walk, Sylvia Kemboi led the Kenyan trio in 53rd place with a personal best of 1:54:23. She was followed by Carren Simiyu, who placed 63rd in 2:01:52, also a personal best, while Naum Jepkirui did not finish her race. “Race walkers need more exposure. Kenyan walkers can perform better than they did in Brazil if we expose them to more races across the globe,” said Ochieng.
He noted that the championships marked Kenya’s first participation in the full race-walking marathon, adding that several athletes registered personal bests despite the stiff competition. “This was a team event, where each country fields five athletes and three score points. I’m encouraged by our athletes’ performance and the invaluable experience they gained,” added Ochieng, a World Athletics-accredited race walking judge.
Attention now turns to the African Championships Accra 2026, scheduled for May 12–17 in Accra, Ghana. “Our immediate focus is the African Championships next month. We must maintain focus and intensify preparations before heading to Ghana,” Ochieng said.
