Kenya's 4x400m relay handed reprieve with rare re-run against USA
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 20.09.25. | 17:45
The U.S. men have a painful history of foul-ups in the sprint relay, but rarely have any problems in the 4x400 and have won 12 of the 19 previous finals
The men’s 4x400m relay at the 2025 World Athletics Championships has taken an unexpected twist, with Kenya and the United States ordered to face off in a dramatic re-run for a place in the final.
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The showdown comes after an appeal reviewed the results of the semifinals, leading to the decision that both teams must contest head-to-head for the last available spot in the final.
The USA appealed after allegedly being obstructed during a takeover.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
— USATF (@usatf) September 20, 2025
We have just been informed that there will be a RE-RUN for an additional lane in the Men’s 4x400m Relay Final as Zambia was Disqualified for impeding both #TeamUSATF and Kenya.
The time of the re-run between USA 🇺🇸 and Kenya 🇰🇪 is still TBD, but we will… pic.twitter.com/aOOb7LAmGr
The U.S. men have a painful history of foul-ups in the sprint relay, but rarely have any problems in the 4x400 and have won 12 of the 19 previous finals.
According to organisers, both Kenya and the USA will field the exact same quartet that raced in the semifinal heats, with no substitutions allowed.
The athletes will also run in the same lanes and in the same order as before to ensure fairness and consistency in the re-run.
The official start time for the race is yet to be confirmed, but anticipation is already building for what promises to be a high-stakes clash.
Kenya, represented by George Mutinda, David Sangaek Kapirante, Dennis Masika Mulongo, and Kevin Kipkorir, impressed in their semifinal with a 3:00.76 performance that put them agonizingly close to qualification.
The USA, traditionally dominant in this event, endured a rare stumble and clocked 3:01.06, finishing behind the Kenyans.
The re-run now offers both teams a second chance to make history.
The Kenyans will be chasing their first-ever men’s 4x400m World Championships final.
This was also the first time in over four decades that Kenya was represented in the men’s 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships.
The quartet of Ferdinand Omanyala, Boniface Mweresa, Meshack Babu, and Steve Onyango made history on Sunday, 11 May by sealing a spot at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships during the final qualification round.
The last time Kenya competed in the men’s 4x100m relay at the World Championships was in 1983, making this achievement a monumental comeback in sprint history for the nation.
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