NAIROBI, Kenya, September 18, 2025 – Despite a sixth World Championships appearance that ended empty-handed, Timothy Cheruiyot is maintaining a positive perspective.
The 2019 world champion says this year’s global competition in Tokyo has been a huge success compared to the last edition in 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
“I am happy to be in the final…that was the main target coming into the championships. I am happy to have come fourth today. Congratulations to Hader (Isaac), Reynold (Cheruiyot) and Wightman (Jake),” the 29-year-old.
Cheruiyot came into this year’s edition hoping to win his second world title.
However, all that became a cropper as he finished fourth in the men’s 1500m after clocking 3:34.50 in an intense final on Wednesday.
Portugal’s Isaac Hader grabbed gold at the last minute, clocking 3:34.10 ahead of Briton Jake Wightman, who took silver in 3:34.12.
Cheruiyot’s fellow Kenyan — and namesake Reynold Cheruiyot — bagged bronze after clocking 3:34.25Â in a closely fought race.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist bemoaned a bad day in office during which his winning strategy did not unfurl as it should.
“We started out the race slow but I wanted to run it under 3:35.00. It was my plan to go to the front in the second lap. My training partner also started slow and that’s why we had to go at the same pace. I was supposed to stay in the lead from 800 metres until the end,” he said.
With the next edition of the global showpiece set for Beijing in two years time, Cheruiyot still has a chance at redemption after the recent period of poor returns.
