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World 800m champion Lilian Odira reveals PB dreams ahead of her Diamond League return
31st May, 2026 04:26 PM
Reigning world champion Lilian Odira has set her sights on lowering her personal best as she returns to Diamond League action this Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco.
Odira set her current personal best in the 800 meters on September 21, 2025, when she clocked 1:54.62
She now heads to the Diamond League race after her second-place finish in the two-lap race on April 24, 2026, at the Kip Keino Classic Tour in Nairobi.
She now faces a much more stacked and competitive field comprising Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (PB: 1:56.61), Audrey Werro (PB: 1:55.91), Sage Hurta-Klecker (PB: 1:55.89), and South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso. This race will be her second Diamond League run after her debut in Silesia.
“I ran a Diamond League in Silesia, and going to Tokyo, I knew my body was well and had a fast time in it. I took it as an opportunity to show the world what I was capable of. My training so far is going well,” she stated about her preparations for the race.
While 2025 thrust her to the global map, Odira has remained modest, stressing that she is only focused on improving her personal record as she looks to better her personal best.
“I am looking forward to a repeat of the feats of the last year. We have multiple races and events coming up, and I only look to get better and improve. I am looking to run a PB; if it comes along with the world record, it will be a bonus, but as I had said, it is all about trying to run much faster,” she stated.
Kenyan stars on show
The Rabat event will also see other Kenyan stars lock horns with world-renowned athletes.
The Kenyan trio of former U20 world champion Edmund Serem, Simon Kiprop Koech, and Abraham Kibiwot will line up to face the celebrated Moroccan star Soufiane El Bakkali in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase.
Other stars in the lineup include Frederik Ruppert (Germany), Salah Eddine Ben Yazide (Morocco), Samuel Firewu (Ethiopia), Daniel Arce (Spain), Djilali Bedrani (France), and the reigning world champion, Geordie Beamish of New Zealand.
The race is scheduled to kick off at 10:46 PM.
Meanwhile, Wanyonyi will also open his 2026 800m season on Sunday evening. The Olympic champion over 800m is fresh from proving his range this year, marking a 3:34.11 PB over 1500m at the Kip Keino Classic, and will be back at his specialty against a star-studded lineup.
