President William Ruto has congratulated Kenya’s athletes after a dominant showing at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, praising both the country’s junior runners and its senior women’s champion for what he described as a display of Kenyan greatness.
In a message posted on X, the Head of State celebrated a clean sweep by Kenyan runners in the Under-20 men’s race and a commanding victory by Agnes Ngetich in the women’s senior event.
“Congratulations to our outstanding athletes for these remarkable performances at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26,” Ruto said.
He said Frankline Kibet won gold in the U20 men’s final, with Emmanuel Kiprono taking silver and Andrew Alamasi claiming bronze. Andrew Kiptoo finished fourth, giving Kenya the top four places in the race.
“We celebrate a brilliant clean sweep in the U20 men’s final,” the President said.
Ruto also praised Ngetich, the 10-kilometre world record holder, for winning the women’s cross-country title by a wide margin.
“We equally salute Agnes Ngetich for another historic victory. The 10km world record holder won the women’s cross country title to secure Kenya’s tenth straight title, finishing an extraordinary 42 seconds ahead of the field,” he said.
The President said the performances reflected the country’s long-standing dominance in distance running and the strength of Kenya’s athletics development system.
“You have all demonstrated the greatness that defines Kenya. Well done,” Ruto added.
Kenya’s continued success at global athletics championships carries both sporting and governance implications, as the government and Athletics Kenya invest heavily in talent identification, training camps, and international competition.
The U20 clean sweep in Tallahassee places a spotlight on Kenya’s youth pipeline, which produces many of the world’s top endurance runners but has also faced criticism over athlete exploitation and weak oversight.