AK National Championships: Chemnung retains 10,000m crown as Wanza eyes Commonwealth Games podium
By Joel Masibo, June 20, 2026Loice Chemnung once again demonstrated her class on the second day of the Athletics Kenya National Championships and Commonwealth Games trials, successfully holding on to her women’s 10,000m title with a dominant performance on Friday, June 19, 2026 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The experienced long-distance specialist controlled the race from start to finish, crossing the finish line in 31:46.90 after the grueling 25-lap event. She was closely followed by African Championships winner Diana Wanza, who finished second in 31:56.80, while Selah Busienei secured third place with a time of 32:01.85.
The victory marked another national triumph for Chemnung, further cementing her reputation as one of Kenya’s most consistent performers on the local athletics scene.
Chemnung reflects
Reflecting on her success, Chemnung said: “I am very happy to defend my title.”
The 29-year-old also emerged victorious at last year’s championships, clocking 31:39.09 to finish ahead of Cintia Chepng’eno and Rebecca Mwangi, who placed second and third respectively.
Although she successfully defended her title, Chemnung revealed she has yet to make a final decision regarding participation at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
“I don’t know yet if I will go for the Commonwealth Games. I’ll sit down with my coach to plan the way forward,” she said.
The athlete, who finished runner-up at the Boston Marathon, disclosed that her attention may soon shift to marathon racing, with the Chicago Marathon scheduled for October 11 featuring prominently in her plans.
“I am preparing for the Chicago Marathon. The preparations for a marathon are intense and require a lot of time.”
Chemnung further explained that her build-up to the national championships was not ideal, making the victory particularly rewarding.
“I had not prepared well for these trials, but I thank God I was able to win. Defending a national title is not easy.”
Meanwhile, Wanza expressed satisfaction after finishing among the top three, coming into the competition fresh from her African Championships success in Ghana.
“Going to Ghana and winning a medal gave me confidence coming into these championships,” she said.
The strong showing represented a significant improvement from last year’s national championships, where she struggled to make an impact. Wanza believes the experience she has gained over the past year has helped elevate her performances.
“I am so happy with the results. Last year at the nationals, I did not have the experience. I know more good things are coming.”
Previous outing
During the 2025 championships, Wanza competed in the 5,000m event and finished ninth after recording 16:03.23.
She also welcomed the challenge posed by Chemnung, saying the competitive race provided a valuable opportunity to assess her current level and identify areas that require improvement.
“I wanted that competition to gauge my strength. I hope to sit down with my coach to fix my weakness.”
Looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Wanza believes she has the ability to contend for a medal and is determined to return home with silverware.
“The target is to go to Glasgow and come back with a medal.”