Central Rift’s Kelvin Kiplagat showed a brilliant mix of endurance and finishing speed to win the men’s 10,000m final at the Athletics Kenya (AK) National Championships, held at Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex.

Kiplagat held off a strong challenge from National Police’s Daniel Ebenyo to take the title, with Meshack Kimutai, also from Central Rift, finishing third to complete a fine outing for the region.

“Central Rift’s Kelvin Kiplagat out-sprinted Daniel Ebenyo of the National Police to win the men’s 10,000m final at the AK National Champs held at Ulinzi Sports Complex. Meshack Kimutai, also from Central Rift, finished third,” Athletics Kenya posted on X on Friday, 27 June 2025.

The race was among the first finals at the two-day national event, which brought together top athletes from all 16 AK regions and six guest affiliates. Many were aiming not just for medals, but also for qualification to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

The newly certified Ulinzi Sports Complex provided a quick track and top-class facilities, setting the stage for high-level performances.

Central rift dominates 10,000m

Kiplagat ran a smart race, keeping within reach of the leaders through the early stages before launching a powerful late surge. His kick in the final lap proved decisive against Ebenyo, who has built a reputation as one of Kenya’s most consistent distance runners. With Kimutai also claiming a podium spot, Central Rift underlined its depth in long-distance running.

The men’s 10,000m was hotly contested, with several athletes pushing the pace in search of qualifying times for Tokyo. For context, last year’s event was won by Roncer Konga in 28:33.03, narrowly ahead of Joseph Kiptum (28:33.97) and Stanley Njihia (28:34.72).

This year’s Championships were backed by an KSh 8 million sponsorship from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and doubled up as a key pathway for athletes hoping to earn places at the national trials for the World Championships, set for 1–2 August.