2025 REVIEW: A year Kenya delivered unforgettable moments at the World Athletics Championships

Kenya in 2025 once again announced itself as the leading light in athletics, its star power laid to bare at the grand stage - the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

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Once the flurry of activities began at the Japan National Stadium in September, the only questions asked were how many medals Kenya would bag, and where in the world the African leader would rank.

By the end of the championships, Kenya stood proud in second place globally, winning one more medal than the 2023 iteration for a total of 11 - a whopping seven golds, two silvers and two bronze.

In this piece, we look at those golden moments, unexpected podiums, and disappointments to key figures in the team.

Mozzart Sport writers’ sporting highlights of 2025

Kipyegon does it again

Faith Kipyegon was the banker all year, and she duly delivered.

As one of our writers mentioned on the day of her fourth 1500m gold on Tuesday, 16 September, all there was as the race gunned off was a sense of inevitability as to what would transpire.

The battle was not for gold, as Kipyegon, who also took silver in the 5,000m, became the most successful Kenyan athlete at the World Championships, surpassing legendary steeplechaser Ezekiel Kemboi.

TOKYO2025: Kipyegon becomes most successful Kenyan at World Championships with latest gold

Chebet at the double

Coming a year after her fantastic showing at the Paris Olympics, Japan was the place where Beatrice Chebet strengthened her grip on the 10,000 and 5,000 meter events, exploding to life with her devastating kick to finally lay her hands on World Championships medals.

The ease by which she did it belied the effort it took, as she was in both finals asked to bide her moment, all in the face of world class opponents like: Kipyegon, Agnes Ngetich, Nadia Battocletti, and Gudaf Tsegay.

That double was just the cherry on top of her big cake.

2025 REVIEW: A look at Beatrice Chebet’s season that delivered elusive World Championships gold

Wanyonyi is world champion

All through Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s 800m qualifying runs in Tokyo, a cloud written ‘can you finally win World Championships gold’ seemed to be hovering around him.

While much of his 2024 was littered with the joy of winning Olympic gold and the tantalising aspect of beating David Rudisha’s world record, 2025 asked just one question, and he answered it emphatically.

Judging by his focused look ahead of the 800m final on 20 September, there was no other way the race was going to end, but for the youngster gritting it out from gun-to-tape, striking gold in the tightest of finishes in a championship record time of 1:41.86.

2025 REVIEW: A look at the year Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered missing piece

Odira leads the cast of surprises

The aforementioned moments aside, perhaps the biggest moment of the championships was the sight of debutant Lilian Odira causing a stir when she beat global contenders like Mary Moraa and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to gold in the women’s 800m.

Almost thought in the ilk of also-rans, the 26-year-old, who came to national consciousness during the 2024 African Games, produced the big shocks of the event, while taking down the oldest championship record in the book – the 42-year-old mark of 1:54.68 set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

That, it seemed, was the cap on few other delightful surprises in the championships, the others being youngster and championship debutant Edmund Serem taking bronze in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, and the ever-smiling Dorcus Ewoi capturing Kenyan hearts with her almost fairy-tale run from the unknown, to a 1,500m silver medalist.

Race switch, trust and sticking to basics: Ewoi's ingredients to memorable World Championships silver medal

Cherotich grows

In Japan, and really all across 2025, Kenya’s ‘lastborn’ Faith Cherotich grew leaps and bounds, culminating her year with gold in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.

Having played the role of bridesmaid on many previous occasions - be it in Budapest in 2023 or Paris in 2024 - Cherotich stamped her authority in the distance by taking down her biggest rival Winfred Yavi, and winning her first senior global title in a championship record of 8:51.59.

Can Cherotich, Yavi rivalry deliver steeplechase World Record in 2026?

Peres by a toe-nail

One of the closest finishes of the World Championships was witnessed in the women's marathon, when Kenyan olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir did just enough to pip Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, winning gold by just two seconds.

The stage had been set when the two entered the Japan National Stadium shoulder-to-shoulder, setting up a dramatic showdown for the title.

Assefa surged into the lead on the back straight of the track, but Jepchirchir responded with yet another kick in the final 100m, ultimately pipping her opponent to bring Kenya's medal tally in the championships then, to two gold medals.

Yego heartbreak

A lot felt smooth for Kenyan javelin star Julius Yego as he entered his seventh world championship in Tokyo, the venue he hoped would deliver a first global podium since his Olympic silver in 2016.

One of the veterans of the Kenyan squad had just secured his first Diamond League victory in nine years going to the championships, but having powered to the finals, was forced to end his quest after suffering a complete adductor tear moments after making his second throw of the day on Thursday, 18 September.

The Olympian, in true championship character, attempted to get on with a third throw, but could not, as he stopped on the runway.

The pain was visible in Kenya’s sporting hero, but he promises to be back!