Roundup: Kip Keino Classic 2025 a huge success as Ulinzi Stadium dazzles
The Ulinzi Stadium proved to be a more than able host of the sixth edition, as shared by fans and athletes alike, following the event.
For what it's worth, the Kip Keino Classic 2025 was a major success, all factors considered.
Penned in as a host venue for the Athletics Continental Tour event at the last minute following the unavailability of Nyayo National Stadium and the Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani, the Ulinzi Stadium proved to be a more than able host of the sixth edition, as shared by fans and athletes alike, following the event.
"The stadium was great, and the atmosphere was also something else. I had a dream debut here in Nairobi, winner of the 100,m," Australia's Kennedy Lachlan said.
Fan feedback was very good as well, with many happy with the professionalism of the Kenya Defence Forces officers who handled the event, as well as a generally positive fan experience overall.
On the track, fresh faces were welcomed to the winning circle in Nairobi.
Three weeks after anchoring South Africa to a memorable 4x400m victory at the World Relays, Zakithi Nene produced another standout moment at the Kip Keino Classic, winning the men’s 400m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi in a world-leading 43.74 on Saturday (31).
With five Gold level meetings done and five to come, the Kip Keino Classic fell in the middle of the series.
This year’s event took place at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, a smaller stadium compared to the traditional Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums, but the atmosphere was electric on a day when six meeting records and two world-leading marks were set.
Nene’s 400m triumph was both of those things.
The South African pulled away from a quality field to win by more than a second, taking half a second off the 44.22 PB he set at the South African Championships earlier this year.
His 43.76 performance now propels the 27-year-old to 16th on the world all-time list.
Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie was second in 44.98, while Kenya’s Zablon Ekwam was third in 45.01.
The other world-leading mark came in the men’s hammer.
World and Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg returned to the scene of his PB throw from 12 months ago to notch up another victory, this time with a world-leading 82.73m.
The Canadian won by more than six metres from Croatia’s Matija Greguric, who threw a PB of 76.68m.
Katzberg’s compatriot and fellow world and Olympic champion Camryn Rogers was equally impressive in the women’s event, winning with a season’s best of 77.93m to emerge victorious ahead of Denmark’s Katrine Koch Jacobsen of Denmark (74.21m) and USA’s Janee Kassanavoid (74.17m).
USA’s Jonah Koech proved that his 1500m win at the Rabat Diamond League was not a mere fluke.
He equalled the meeting record of 1:43.32 to win the men’s 800m ahead of Kenya’s Nicholas Kebenei (1:43.75) and Alex Ngeno Kipngetich (1:45.17).
Fresh from helping Kenya earn a spot in the mixed 4x400m at the World Championships, Mercy Oketch enjoyed a moment of individual glory. She won the women’s 400m in 50.14, breaking both the meeting record and the Kenyan record.
There were meeting records in both the women’s and men’s 400m hurdles. Amalie Iuel of Norway almost stumbled in the closing stages of the women’s race, but recovered to win in 54.80, taking 0.09 off her own meeting record and finishing comfortably ahead of Kristiina Halonen of Finland in 55.32.
Wiseman Were of Kenya won the men’s race in 48.34, also breaking his own meeting record from last year.
Egypt’s Esraa Owis took a surprise win in the women’s long jump, sailing out to a wind-assisted 6.94m (2.4m/s). But Brazil’s Maysa Lissandra Campos emerged with the meeting record as her runner-up leap of 6.84m was wind-legal.
The first upset of the day came in the men’s javelin. Despite the presence of Grenada's Anderson Peters, Germany's Thomas Rohler and Kenya's Julius Yego – all past winners of global titles – it was Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio Da Silva who took command.
He threw 84.54m in the first round, then improved to 86.34m, breaking the Brazilian record.
Rohler’s first and only throw of 80.79m placed him second ahead of Leandro Ramos of Portugal (80.68m).
In the final event of the programme, the men’s 100m, Australia’s world indoor silver medallist Lachlan Kennedy beat South African youngster Bayanda Walaza to win in a PB of 9.98.
Walaza was second in 10.03 ahead of home favourite Ferdinand Omanyala (10.07).
African silver medallist Lilian Odira fought off Botswana’s Oratile Nowe to win the women’s 800m in 1:58.31. Nowe held on for second in 1:58.47 ahead of Kenya’s Sarah Moraa (1:58.96) as all three women set PBs.
Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat broke away midway through the women’s 5000m, going on to win in 15:03.33 ahead of Kenya’s Maurine Chebor in 15:14.57.
Ethiopia’s Amare Hailemariyam waited patiently in a leading pack of three in the closing stages of the men’s 5000m, then made his move with 200 metres to go, taking the victory in 13:34.02.
Kenyan youngster Edmund Serem produced a popular victory in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Ethiopia’s Dinka Fikadu put up a strong challenge in the closing stages, but Serem had an extra gear and was able to hold him off as he won in 8:27.68 against Fikadu’s 8:27.97.
Ethiopia gained revenge in the women’s race later in the programme, though, as Wosano Asefa produced a strong finishing kick to win in 9:30.68.
Elsewhere, Abel Kipsang took the men’s 1500m in 3:35.09 ahead of compatriot Mathew Kipsang (3:35.87).
Joseph Fahnbulleh produced his trademark strong finish to take the men’s 200m in 20.40, while Liberia’s Maia McCoy won the women’s 100m in 11.21
Organisers of the KipKeino Classic have one goal and mission: to make the event a Diamond League quality competition.
With this pace and level of planning, maybe it won't be too long before the Diamond League anthem rings out loud in Nairobi.
