World 1,500m bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot believes his appearance at the 46th edition of the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, has laid a firm platform for a bold assault on the Diamond League circuit and the Commonwealth Games this season.
Cheruiyot was part of Kenya’s mixed relay quartet alongside Daniel Munguti, Winfred Mbithe and Purity Chepkirui. The Kenyan quartet narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing fourth in 22:42 in a tightly contested race. Australia stormed to gold in 22:23, with France settling for silver in 22:26, while Ethiopia completed the podium after clocking 22:34.
With the track season now firmly underway, Cheruiyot says his attention has shifted to sharpening his speed and endurance as he targets strong showings on the Diamond League circuit and a return to the international stage in Kenyan colours at the Club Games. “Now I am going to start loading to prepare for the track season,” said Cheruiyot.
“I will sit down with my coach and discuss how we will handle the upcoming races. There is the Diamond League and also the Commonwealth Games,” he added. Cheruiyot enjoyed an impressive Diamond League campaign last season. He launched his campaign in style with a commanding victory over 5,000m at the Doha meeting, stopping the clock at 13:16.40.
At the Rabat meeting, he finished second over 1,500m in 3:31.78, coming in just behind American Jonah Koech, who won in 3:31.43. However, his form dipped slightly at the Rome Diamond League, where he placed sixth over the metric mile in 3:30.94.
Cheruiyot later featured at the Prefontaine Classic, competing in the Mile race and securing sixth place with a time of 3:47.46. At the Silesia meet, he crossed the line fifth over 1,500m, clocking 3:33.42.
He rounded off his Diamond League season on a high at the Zurich final, producing a dominant run to finish second over 1,500m in 3:29.91, only beaten by Dutch star Niels Laros, who won in 3:29.20. Beyond the circuit, the 21-year-old has been a consistent presence in Team Kenya across continental and global championships.
In 2022, he announced himself on the world stage by clinching the World Under-20 1,500m title in Cali, Colombia, timing 3:35.83 to beat Ethiopia’s Ermias Girma (3:37.24) and compatriot Daniel Kimaiyo (3:37.43). A year later, he added the African Under-20 1,500m crown to his growing collection, winning in 3:33.65.
At the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Cheruiyot cemented his elite status by claiming bronze over 1,500m, crossing the line in 3:34.25 behind Portugal’s Isaac Nader (3:34.10) and Britain’s Jake Wightman (3:34.12). Reflecting on the mixed relay performance in Florida, Cheruiyot said the team took pride in their effort despite falling just short of the podium.
“The championship was okay. Although we faced a few hiccups, we are grateful for the position we finished,” he noted. He also hailed Kenya’s overall dominance at the championships, where the nation topped the medal standings for a third consecutive time, amassing nine medals (three gold, four silver and two bronze). “We are also thankful for finishing in position one overall as Team Kenya,” he said.
by TEDDY MULEI
