World and Olympics 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi dominated and won the 1500m race, a new category that he just debuted in at the 2026 Kip Keino Classic on Friday at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Speaking after his race, Wanyonyi, who is used to the two-lap race, defied all the odds at Nyayo to claim the 1500m in his debut with a personal best of 3:34.11, but made it clear that he does not plan to juggle both distances heavily as he wants to ease into things. His main priority right now remains the 800m.
“This is my first race of the season, and I’ve run the 1500m, so I just want to concentrate on my usual event, which is the 800m. For now, no, I’ll take it slow, but the 800m is my main target,” he said.
"The race was good. I came here to gauge my current pace, and this outing has proven my training and buildup are on point. Now I want to shift focus back to the 800m,” he added.
Wanyonyi shrugged off the pressure from fellow countryman Reynold Cheruiyot, who finished second in 3:34.73, while they locked up a podium sweep with Kyumbe Munguti seizing third place.
The 1500m race was a Kenyan domination with Mathew Kipchumba, Brian Komen, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Vincent Kibet crossing the line in fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh places, respectively.
The Kip Keino meeting served as a crucial launchpad for the 21-year-old as he looks to build momentum ahead of a demanding 2026 international campaign.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 1500m category, Miriam Cherop emerged victorious after clocking 4:08:49, ahead of Ethiopia’s athletes who seized second, third, and fourth spots respectively.
Deseta Tadele came second with a personal best of 4:09:55, followed by Sifen Dageta at 4:10:20.