At least 800 athletes will be racing for tickets to the two international athletics events set for next month.
The track and field stars will be eyeing slots in Kenya’s team to Gaborone, Botswana for the World Relay Championships scheduled for May 2-3 in the three-day national trials next week.
A bigger number will be looking to book their places in the squad to the Africa Senior Athletics Championships, a showdown that will be staged in Accra, Ghana on May 12-17.
From Thursday to Saturday next week, Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang’ata will host ambitious athletes hoping to carry the hopes of a nation.
Organisers say the event where the country selects casts for the global and continental shows, will be the biggest national trials if all the 800 athletes invited for the showdown confirm their participation.
On Monday, Athletics Kenya released strict rules ahead of the trials.
“All selected athletes must have undergone 1-3 Out-of-Competition Tests in the past 6 months depending on the Athlete’s World Athletics Ranking as required by the Athletics Integrity Unit for Federations in Category A,” the federation said in a statement.
The rules further read: “In events where 3 athletes are required the fastest 2 athletes to cross the finish line will be automatically selected. The third athlete will be selected by a panel of selectors. In events where 1 or 2 athletes are required, the fastest to cross the finish line will be automatically selected. Athletes for the race walk will be selected during the World Athletics Race Walk Team Championships to be held on 12 April, 2026 in Brazil.”
Kenyan sprinters tested their sprinting power at the Lefika International Relays last weekend in Botswana as focus shifts to the 2026 World Relay Championships.
The country’s sprinters delivered two victories at the recently concluded Lefika Relays action at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, but teams have to prove their mettle at the trials.
Africa’s fastest 100m sprinter, Ferdinand Omanyala, Mercy Chebet, who also took part in the mixed 4x400m in the Gaborone relays, among others, will be highlighting the sprints next week. Botswana National Stadium, which hosted the Lefika show, is the same venue for the 2026 World Athletics Relays.
Track stars such as Olympic bronze medallist Mary Moraa and national champion Brian Tinega will be among athletes to watch in the 400m races, if they confirm their participation.
Moraa is the African 400m champion after sprinting to victory in Doula, Cameroon in 2024.
Big shots have been invited for the middle and long-distance races.
World champion Lilian Odira and Mary Moraa, the former world gold medallist as well as Sarah Moraa are in the list of middle-distance athletes expected to blaze Ulinzi Sports Complex tracks if they line up for the women’s 800m.
World and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been invited to confirm whether he is in the right form to fly the Kenyan colours in the 800m at the African showpiece.
Also expected to battle for a ticket to the continental show in the men’s 800m is 2022 African silver medallist Nicholas Kebenei and reigning champion Alex Ngeno. Ferguson Rotich – an Olympic is also in the list.
Other big names include world champion Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase), world bronze medallist Edmud Serem and 2019 African champion Benjamin Kigen (3,000m steeplechase).
