NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 20 – Kenya has long been known as a centre of athletic excellence, with some of the world’s best ever long and middle-distance runners coming up pounding dusty rural roads around the country. In fact, both the current men’s and women’s marathon world record holders are proud Kenyans. In 2025 Kenyan athletes have continued to be among the top global runners, setting records and winning titles. Several are currently competing in the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
This piece will discuss four sports stars who are continuing and building on Kenya’s legacy of top-tier athletics. In the interest of not being dominated by middle or long distance runners, it also includes the Kenyan Premier League’s hotshot football star and an up and coming sprinter.
Faith Kipyegon is a World Class Middle Distance Runner
Listing Faith Kipyegon’s achievements in athletics could take up most of this article. Known as the Smiling Destroyer due to her wide smile and general disposition, Kipyegon is a double world record holder, three time Olympic Champion and four time World Champion at the 1500 metres.
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Kipyegon grew up as one nine siblings in a big family in rural Nakuru County. She discovered her talent for athletics aged 14 after crushing the competition in a high school 1km distance run on her very first try. Most recently she won the gold at the 1500 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, which was her third world title in four years.
She is now tied for most 1500 metres World Championship wins with Hicham El Guerrouj. Considering Kipyegon is arguably still in her prime, and Guerrouj retired nearly 20 years ago, few would bet against her overtaking that record.
Beatrice Chebet is a New World Champion
Alongside Kipyegon at the top of the world athletics game is fellow Kenyan and close friend Beatrice Chebet. A specialist at slightly longer distance – 5000 to 10,000 metres – Chebet is also a world record holder and double Olympic champion.
At only 25 years old, compared to the 31-year-old Kipyegon, Chebet had her breakout year in 2024 and is looking to carry that on in 2025.
Some of Chebet’s achievements in her field include:
• Gold medals in the 5000 and 10,000 metres at Paris 2024 – only the third woman to win both in one Olympics
• Gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games 5000m
• Silver in the 2022 World Championship 5000m
• Bronze at the 2023 World Championships 5000m where she lost to Kipyegon
Moses Shumah is a Rising Football Star
Although Kenya hasn’t produced many true world-class sports stars outside of track and field athletics, there have been a few top-tier Kenyan footballers over the years.
Arguably one of the most promising names of the current crop of new Kenyan ballers is Moses Shumah.
The young striker was the Golden Boot winner of the Kenyan Premier League in 2024, scoring 17 goals for the Kakamega Homeboyz. At 22-years-old Shumah was the youngest Kenyan league top scorer for a decade. He soon earned a transfer to Zambian Super League winners Power Dynamo for the 2025/26 season, scoring a beautiful 20-yeard curler on his team debut.
Many Kenyan fans see Shumah as a possible world-class star in future years, if he can continue the goal scoring exploits in Africa and potentially secure a move abroad.
George Mutinda is an Up and Coming Sprinter (and Former Policeman)
One of the more unlikely stories of Kenyan sport in 2025, has been that of George Mutinda. Although Kenya has been known for its endurance runners, Mutinda is one of a new generation of sprinters adding power and pure speed to the mix.
A late-comer to athletics, after serving as a member of the Kenyan Police from age 19 to 22, Mutinda shocked the local athletics community at the June 2025 Kenyan Championships by storming to gold in the men’s 400 metres ahead of two experienced international runners.
He set a 44:51 time, which was World
Championship qualifying standard. All with little time on a proper athlete’s training schedule.
Having just transitioned into being a full-time student from a police role at the time of his win, Kenya chose him to represent the country at the World University Games in Berlin.
However, Mutinda turned that down believing he was of World Championship standard. A decision that would pay off as he made the Kenyan team for Tokyo 2025. Alongside Brian Tinega and Kevin Kipkorir, the same two runners he comfortably beat in the 400 metres earlier in the year.
