Kenyan distance-running stars Agnes Ngetich and Sabastian Sawe have been nominated for the 2026 World Athlete of the Year awards, giving Kenya two representatives among the leading performers in global athletics.
World Athletics announced the nominees on Tuesday, with Ngetich named among the 10 contenders for the women’s award and Sawe making the men’s shortlist.
Ngetich will compete against a strong international field that includes Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, Spain’s María Pérez, Switzerland’s Audrey Werro and Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino. The list also features American athletes Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Masai Russell and Chase Jackson, Canada’s Camryn Rogers and China’s Yan Ziyi.
Sawe is also up against a star-studded field that includes Swedish pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, American sprinter Kenneth Bednarek, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos and Slovenia’s discus thrower Kristjan Čeh.
Sawe has established himself among the world’s leading marathon runners and currently holds the world record. He made his marathon debut at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, winning in 2:02:05, before recording further major performances on the international road-running circuit.
Ngetich has also continued to strengthen her reputation as one of Kenya’s leading distance runners, competing successfully across road and track events.
The nominations give Kenya a double presence in the prestigious awards, which recognise outstanding performances across athletics.
The winners will be determined through a voting process involving World Athletics’ global voting bodies and athletics fans, with the awards ceremony scheduled for November 29 in Monaco.