Kenya’s steeplechase brothers Amos and Edmund Serem will carry the country’s hopes when they line up at the Silesian Stadium on Sunday for the Silesia Diamond League meeting.
The siblings have steadily established themselves among Kenya’s leading water-and-barrier specialists in the post-golden era of the country’s dominance in the 3,000m steeplechase, and both will be eager to rekindle their winning form against a quality international field.
Amos first announced himself on the global stage at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, where he won the 3,000m steeplechase title in 8:30.72. Ethiopia’s Bikila Tadese Takele was second in 8:33.15, with compatriot Simon Koech taking bronze in 8:34.79.
He continued to make his mark at senior level, winning silver at the 2023 African Games in Accra in 8:25.77 behind Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu (8:24.30). Amos earned a place in Kenya’s team for the 2024 Paris Olympics but finished 14th in the final in 8:19.74.
He bounced back spectacularly at the end of that season, winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels in 8:06.90 and stunning two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who was second in 8:08.60. However, an injury early in the 2025 season disrupted his progress and forced him to miss most of the campaign.
The 23-year-old has struggled to rediscover his best form this year, finishing 11th at the Kip Keino Classic in 8:54.45, ninth at the African Senior Championships in 8:53.76, 10th in Doha in 8:41.52 and 10th in Monaco in 8:21.30.
He was 13th at the Oordegem meeting in Belgium in 8:39.38. His younger brother Edmund, meanwhile, has emerged as one of Kenya’s brightest steeplechase prospects. Edmund followed in Amos’ footsteps by winning the World Under-20 title in Lima, Peru, in 2024, clocking 8:15.28.
He immediately made the transition to the senior ranks, winning silver at the African Championships in 8:21.94 before securing his first senior global medal at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where he took bronze in 8:34.56.
This year, Edmund has added the Commonwealth Games title to his growing list of achievements, winning in 8:18.23. “Winning my first global title was really special. I did not expect to win because the field was very strong,” he said after his Commonwealth Games triumph.
The 22-year-old heads to Silesia high on confidence after a strong Diamond League campaign that has placed him second in the standings on 24 points, level with leader El Bakkali. Edmund finished fourth in Morocco in 8:01.61, second in Stockholm in 8:12.27, third in France in 8:08.54 and third in Monaco in 8:11.15.
The Serem brothers will, however, face a stern test from El Bakkali, widely regarded as one of the greatest steeplechasers of his generation and the current world No. 1 in the discipline. Ethiopian duo Samuel Firewu and Gemechu Godana, alongside Germany’s Karl Bebendorf, add further quality to what promises to be a fiercely contested race.
