Kenyan men struggle to defend their track World Records

Global stars have mastered the tactics after they flawlessly blended science with endurance.

Endurance has kept Kenyan stars at the top of various events on the track.

But athletics stars from other countries have mastered the game so well that they are bullishly smashing World Records previously held by Kenyan track stars.

A peek into the statistics takes you to the number of records broken on the track by Kenyan bigwigs, particularly those under the men’s belts. They tell you that the records are falling year after year.

As the 2024 track season nears a close with the Diamond League series final in Brussels, Belgium, on September 13 and 14, fears for the demolition of other World Records that are still under Kenyan men’s stranglehold are high.

David Rudisha and Noah Ngeny are the remaining Kenyan World Record holders on the track, with their 800m and 1000m fastest marks of all time respectively under their names under threat.

For the men’s 800m World Record, the hope is that the reigning Olympic Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi lowers it and guards it from world champion Marco Arop of Canada.

There were three men holding records in track events until Sunday, August 25, 2024, when Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen shattered the men’s 3000m World Record that was previously held by Kenya’s legend Daniel Komen.

At the Silesia Diamond League clash, all indications had pointed to the falling of a World Record but the men’s 3000m was the least expected.

Interestingly, Silesia became the theatre where huge surprises were delivered, spectacularly.

While the athletics world was expecting David Rudisha’s 800m World Record to be lowered thanks to the rivalry between Olympic and world champions Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya and Canadian Marco Arop respectively, Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigsten shattered Daniel Komen’s 28-year-old 3000m fastest time.

With one of the oldest World Records on the track smashed, Silesia proved that the fastest marks are set to be broken.

Ingebrigtsen ran a staggering 7:17.55 to break Komen’s previous World Record of 7:20.67 set in Rieti, Italy on September 1, 1996.

The 23-year-old Norwegian added another fastest mark to his 1500m Indoor and 2000m outdoor World Records as he confirmed to the world that he was so far the king of the track.

Other records are under threat as action moves to the 13th leg of the Diamond League series in Rome this Friday.

A buoyed Ingebrigtsen said he had set his sights on shattering World Records in all distances, and that he was plotting to execute the ambitious mission one step at a time.

It means, if he takes part in the men’s 1500m in Zurich on September 5, the distance’s World Record set by Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj 26 years ago, will also be under a major threat from the Norwegian track star.

“I was hoping to challenge the world record here (in Silesia) but based on my training, I can never predict exactly what kind of time I am capable of. I would not have imagined I could run 7:17, though.

“The conditions were difficult with the heat today, but it is the same for everyone. I have a good team. We use ice vests, we make sure I stay hydrated and I am prepared,” Ingebrigtsen, a two-time Olympic champion said.

An epic battle, perhaps another photo finish was expected to be produced by the world's biggest rivals in 800m, Wanyonyi and Arop (Canadian) but this time, the Canadian world champion stunned the Olympic champion.

Arop, however, finished comfortably clear of Wanyonyi in Silesia, in a scintillating session which saw ten meeting records set.

There are also fears that the men’s 800m fastest mark from the 2012 London Olympic Games is under a major threat by the Canadian star although Wanyonyi remains the hope of an athletics powerhouse, which topped the African continent in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Back to the statistics, Kenyan men dominated the World Record times. They are watching in disbelief as Kenya loses its grip.

For instance, the 3000m steeplechase World Record currently held by Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma was once a preserve of Kenyan water and barrier maestros.

The women’s event is still a Kenyan affair, with Beatrice Chepkoech holding the record.

Ben Jipcho opened the World Record breaking spree in the men’s event after becoming the first Kenyan man to take it down in Lagos, Nigeria in 1973 and breaking it five months later that year before obliterating the mark again eight days later.

After Jipcho, Henry Rono, a man who shattered multiple records including in the 3000m steeplechase in 1978 took over the throne before Peter Koech, currently a businessman in Kapsabet, became the fastest man in the distance in 1989.

And then came Kenya’s most successful steeplechaser Moses Kiptanui who reigned supreme from 1992 to 1995, breaking the World Records at will. The legend from Kapkomora in Marakwet East was untouchable during his prime.

Bernard Barmasai took over the reins in 1997 and later came Kenyan-born Qatari Stephen Cherono (Saaeed Shaheen), who shattered the World Record in Brussels in 2004.

It wasn't until June last year in Paris that Girma spectacularly demolished Cherono’s record.

“It is shocking that our athletes are no longer running faster times in steeplechase. We have to change our tactics or we lose our grip,” says Kiptanui, the first man to run under eight minutes in a steeplechase race.

In the long-distance events of the track, Paul Tergat once held the World Record. That was from August 1997 to June 1998.

The current 10000m World Record is currently held by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who also has the fastest mark in 5000m.

Kenya is proud to hold the women’s 10000m record in Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet. Faith Kipyegon has the 1500m and One Mile records.