Kenya finishes second at World Athletics Championships Tokyo
By Kenneth Mwenda, September 21, 2025Kenya completed the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo with a remarkable performance that placed the country second in the final medal table. The championships ended on Sunday, September 21, after nine days of competition at the Japan National Stadium.
The United States topped the table with a strong haul of 12 golds, while Kenya followed closely with 7 gold medals among a total of 11. Canada, the Netherlands and Spain rounded off the top five.
The result confirmed Kenya’s dominance in middle and long-distance running, as well as the depth of its team across both men’s and women’s events.
Golden moments for Kenya
Beatrice Chebet emerged as one of the stars of Tokyo 2025. She secured a double triumph in the women’s 10,000m and 5,000m, making her one of the few athletes to hold both world titles in a single championship. Faith Kipyegon added further glory with gold in the women’s 1500m, where her teammate Dorcus Ewoi took silver to complete a Kenyan 1-2 finish.
The women’s marathon was another highlight. Peres Jepchirchir stormed to victory, edging Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in a close finish. In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Faith Cherotich secured gold, showing Kenya’s strength in the event.
On the men’s side, Emmanuel Wanyonyi made headlines by winning the men’s 800m with a blistering time of 1:41.86. His triumph gave Kenya its sixth gold of the championships. Earlier, Reynold Cheruiyot earned bronze in the men’s 1500m, while Edmund Serem bagged bronze in the men’s steeplechase.
Odira’s golden breakthrough
The biggest surprise came in the women’s 800m final Tokyo 2025 time of 1:54.62. Lilian Odira ran the race of her life, powering through the home straight to beat Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson. Her victory set a championship record and also extended Kenya’s medal tally. Sarah Moraa finished fourth in the same race, while Mary Moraa faded to seventh.
Odira’s triumph added to Kenya’s reputation in the two-lap event, following Mary Moraa’s win in 2023. It was also a symbolic moment, showing the transition of talent and the continued rise of young Kenyan athletes.
Kenya’s medal count
In total, Kenya’s haul included 7 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. This placed the team second in the Tokyo medal table 2025, just behind the United States but ahead of other athletics powerhouses.
The strong results drew comparisons with past performances, including the Kenya medals Tokyo Olympics and Kenya medals Tokyo 2021, where the country also shone in endurance races. However, Tokyo 2025 proved that Kenya is consistent and also capable of developing fresh champions who can deliver under pressure.