Former Boston Marathon champion hints Kenya could soon host Diamond League leg
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 19.02.26. | 16:14
The 2026 Diamond League season is set to open with a three-leg Asian swing, beginning in Doha before moving to Shanghai and Xiamen in China
Former Boston Marathon champion Ibrahim Hussein has hinted that Kenya could soon make a move to host a leg of the Wanda Diamond League.
Hussein insisted that the country has both the pedigree and organisational capacity to stage a top-tier global athletics event.
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Hussein, who serves as the head of technical at the Sirikwa Classic, is one of Kenya’s most decorated road runners.
He made history in 1987 as the first Black and African athlete to win the New York City Marathon, clocking 2:11:01, before going on to win the Boston Marathon three times in 1988, 1991, and 1992.
Across his career, he finished in the top 10 in all four of his New York City Marathon appearances.
Speaking during the Sirikwa Classic held on Saturday, 14 February, Hussein noted that the country should not be underestimated when it comes to delivering world-class competitions.
He cited past successes, including hosting the World Cross Country Championships in 2007, along with the All Africa Games in 1987 and the U18 Championships and the African Championships in 2010.
“Kenya has proven before that we can organise and deliver major events. Now we are bidding to host the World Championships in either 2029 or 2031.
If given the opportunity, we will prove ourselves again. Competitions like Sirikwa show what we are capable of,” he offered.
Hussein further revealed that Kenya will be ready to act should an opening arise on the Diamond League calendar.
“I have also been informed that there is a possibility of going for a Diamond League event, one country might pull out, and we will pursue the chance,” he said.
He added that Kenya’s bid is further strengthened by the fact that the country already hosts three World Athletics Gold Label events: the Sirikwa Classic, the Kip Keino Classic, and the Chepsaita World Cross Country.
“We are doing a wonderful job. Chepsaita progressed from bronze to gold, which reflects how well we organise these competitions. So again, do not underestimate Kenyans, we’ll go to Singapore,” he laughed.
The 2026 Diamond League season is set to open with a three-leg Asian swing, beginning in Doha before moving to Shanghai and Xiamen in China.
The circuit’s lone African meeting is scheduled for Rabat, Morocco, on May 31, after which the series transitions to Europe, starting in Rome and continuing through Stockholm, Oslo, and Paris.
Athletics’ biggest stars are expected to feature prominently throughout the campaign, with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon tipped to headline the middle- and long-distance races.
The tour will then head to the United States for the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on July 4, a venue that has produced five world records in the past three seasons.
The series returns to Europe for high-profile stops in Monaco and London, where sprint clashes involving Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles are anticipated.
Qualification battles will conclude in August in Lausanne, Silesia, and Zurich before the season culminates with the Diamond League Final in Brussels.