Kenya's Oketch to clash with Olympic champion at Kipkeino Classic

Kenya’s national outdoor and indoor 400m record holder, Mercy Oketch, is anticipating an exhilarating opportunity to compete against Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas when the two sprint stars will toe the line in a mouth-watering 400m clash at the Kip Keino Classic on April 24, 2026, in Nairobi at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Confirming the news on Monday, ‎Kip Keino Classic meet Director, Barnaba Korir, said that Thomas will step up to the one-lap test, opting for the 400m instead of her preferred 100m and 200m, a showdown with Kenya's best, Oketch.

‎‎“We will not be having the women’s 200m. Gabby Thomas will not be running in her specialty; she will be running the 400m,” Korir revealed, underscoring the significance of the 2023 world 200m silver medallist gracing the Nairobi showpiece, noting her star power will elevate the meet.

Oketch has been in scintillating form since launching her 2026 campaign, obliterating the national indoor 400m record at the World Indoor Championships on March 21 in Torun, Poland, stopping the clock at an impressive 51.25.

Thomas on the other hand will line up at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix on April 18, then head to Kenya before proceeding to the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 26.

The 29-year-old American has already burst out of the blocks in 2026, storming to a commanding victory at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on April 4, where she clocked 11.00 secs to lay down an early-season marker, boasting a glittering résumé, headlined by her Olympic 200m gold in Paris, where she also completed a relay double, striking gold in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m.

She is also the 2023 World Championships 200m silver medallist and a relay gold winner with Team USA in Budapest, further underlining her pedigree with double gold at the 2024 World Relays. ‎

Meet Director Korir has also confirmed that ‎for the first time, the Kip Keino Classic will be staged under the lights, assuring fans of top-tier security arrangements.

“We are assuring the fans that there will be proper security. Athletics Kenya has had meetings with the police, as well as the county security teams and the National Youth Service,” he said.