‎World champions Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet will lead a team of six Kenyan athletes set for global recognition at the prestigious World Athletics Athlete of the Year Awards, following a season defined by dominance and record-breaking feats.

The annual awards feature three main categories: Track Athlete of the Year, Field Athlete of the Year and Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year.

‎In the Track Athlete of the Year category, quadruple world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon and world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet headline the women’s field, while newly crowned world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi carries Kenya’s hopes in the men’s race.

In the Out of Stadium category, world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and 10km road race world record holder Agnes Ng’etich lead the women’s charge, with Berlin Marathon champion Sabastian Sawe flying the flag as Kenya’s sole male representative.

‎“The nominees reflect some of the standout performances achieved during another memorable year of the sport, which peaked with the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25,” read a statement from World Athletics.

Kipyegon and Chebet headline a glittering women’s line-up that also includes world 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol (Netherlands), world 400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) and double world sprint champion Mellisa Jefferson-Wooden (USA).

Meanwhile, Wanyonyi faces a fierce battle for the men’s crown against a stellar cast led by Americans Rai Benjamin (400m hurdles world champion), Noah Lyles (200m world champion) and Cordell Tinch (110m hurdles world champion), alongside France’s Jimmy Gressier, the reigning world 10,000m champion.

‎Kipyegon in blistering form

On July 5 at the Prefontaine Classic, the Kenyan middle-distance queen shattered her own 1,500m world record, clocking 3:48.68 to become the first woman in history to dip under 3:49. 

‎At the Tokyo World Championships, she etched her name deeper into athletics folklore by clinching her fourth world title over the metric mile, adding to her previous triumphs in Budapest 2023, Eugene 2022, and London 2017.

‎Chebet’s fair campaign 

‎She obliterated the women’s 5,000m world record at the Pre Classic, clocking 13:58.06 to become the first woman ever to run under 14 minutes. 

‎Her dominance stretched to Tokyo, where she pulled off a historic 5,000m and 10,000m double, storming to victory in 14:54.36 and 30:37.61 respectively.

‎Wanyonyi, the new king of the two-lap race, stamped his authority with a 1:41.86 world title-winning run in Tokyo, a season that also saw him post the world’s fastest time of 1:41.44 in Monaco on July 11.

Men’s contest

‎In the men’s Out of Stadium category, Sawe faces stern opposition from Brazil’s Caio Bonfim (world 20km race walk champion), Canada’s Evan Dunfee (world 35km race walk champion), Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (10,000m silver medallist), and Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu, the reigning world marathon champion.

‎Sawe has been in red-hot form all year, remaining unbeaten in both marathons he has contested. He made a spectacular debut at the London Marathon on April 27, clocking 2:02:27 to beat Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (2:03:37) and Kenya’s Alexander Munyao (2:04:20). 

‎His latest triumph came in Berlin on September 21, where he stormed to victory in 2:02:16, ahead of Japan’s Akira Akasaki (2:06:15) and Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele (2:06:57).

‎In the women’s field, Jepchirchir and Ng’etich face stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (world marathon silver medallist), Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (Sydney Marathon champion), and Spain’s Maria Perez, the double world champion in the 20km and 35km race walks.

‎Ng’etich unstoppable 

‎She opened her campaign with a commanding win at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country (32:42) before smashing the women’s-only 10km world record at the Adidas Adizero Road to Records on April 26, clocking a blistering 29:27. 

‎Her most recent outing at the Valencia Half Marathon saw her cross the finish line in 1:03:08 for another emphatic victory.

‎Jepchirchir, meanwhile, delivered one of her finest career performances at the Tokyo World Championships, striking marathon gold in 2:24:43, narrowly edging Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (2:24:45) and Uruguay’s Julia Paternain (2:27:23).

‎World Athletics has confirmed that voting is now open across all its social media platforms, with fans and experts invited to have their say.

‎“Voting closes on November 2, and the winners will be unveiled at the World Athletics Awards on November 30,” the statement added.

‎The overall World Athlete of the Year, for both men and women, will then be selected from the winners across the three categories.

‎“The overall women’s and men’s World Athlete of the Year award winners will be chosen from among the track, field, and out of stadium category champions.”