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Emmanuel Wanyonyi speaks after sealing fourth Kip Keino Classic 1,500m win
25th April, 2026 10:25 AM
Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the reigning Olympic and world 800m champion, has broken his silence after he continued his impressive run in middle-distance racing by powering to victory in the 1,500m at the Kip Keino Classic on Friday night, April 24, 2026.
Wanyonyi delivered a personal best time of 3:34.11, producing a strong finishing sprint to pull away from Reynold Cheruiyot, who settled for second in 3:34.73, while Daniel Munguti secured third place in 3:36.21.
The 2026 preparations
The emphatic win provided a solid boost for Wanyonyi as he continues preparations for the 2026 international season, signaling strong early form.
It also marked his fourth triumph at the Kip Keino Classic, adding to his previous 800m victories in 2022 (1:45.01), 2023 (1:43.32), and 2024 (1:43.57), further underlining his dominance at the Nairobi meet.
After the race, Wanyonyi highlighted the role of modern technology in enhancing performance, particularly the wavelight pacing system. “Kenya is improving in athletics and in the first two laps, the wavelight helped me a lot,” he said.
He also shared an encouraging message to aspiring athletes, saying: “There is time for everything, and I would love to tell all the dreamers to keep working hard.”
Long distance
Explaining his decision to compete over a longer distance, Wanyonyi noted it was part of his endurance training strategy. “I ran this 1,500m for endurance, but my focus for the season is the 800m and to run very fast,” he said.
Cheruiyot, who stayed competitive throughout the race, acknowledged beforehand that the contest would be demanding given the quality of the field. “We knew it would be a tough race depending on the athletes on the start list,” he said.
Reflecting on how the race unfolded, he added: “Wanyonyi was going to push the pace and he did exactly that. Nobody really challenged him early, so I tried but couldn’t get past him. Still, I feel great finishing second, it’s still early in the season.”
The world bronze medallist now turns his attention to the Diamond League, where he aims to refine his performance against top international competitors. “I will go back to training and fine-tune ahead of the Diamond League season,” he added.
Munguti, who finished third in a closely fought race, expressed gratitude for his result in a highly competitive field. “Today’s race had a lot of tension because we knew anyone could win, but we thank God for the performance,” he said.
He also pointed to the intensity brought by Wanyonyi, noting how their rivalry drives improvement. “Emmanuel Wanyonyi is a strong competitor, we train together in cross country and push each other. That’s what keeps us improving,” he added.
