Kenya’s sprint king Ferdinand Omanyala delivered a statement performance, clocking a season-best 9.96 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the 2026 Kip Keino Classic.
Competing at the packed Nyayo National Stadium on April 24, Omanyala reclaimed his title in emphatic fashion, reaffirming his dominance as Africa’s fastest man and thrilling a roaring home crowd.
The 9.96-second finish marked Omanyala’s second sub-10 performance in less than two weeks, following another strong showing at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix.
Running into a slight headwind (-0.1), the time underlined his growing consistency at the highest level, something that has been key in his rise on the global sprinting stage.
The race was disrupted by two false starts, forcing athletes to reset multiple times before a clean start was finally achieved on the third attempt.
South Africa’s Gift Leotlela was shown a red card and disqualified following one of the false starts, reducing the field and adding to the pressure on the remaining sprinters.
Despite the interruptions, Omanyala kept his composure.
When the race finally got underway, Omanyala did not have the sharpest start. However, his strength showed in the middle phase.
By the halfway mark, he had surged ahead of the field, using his trademark top-end speed to take control.
From there, it was all his race.
In a moment that captured both confidence and connection with the crowd, Omanyala began celebrating roughly 10 metres before the finish line. Arms outstretched as he crossed in 9.96 seconds.
Behind Omanyala, South Africa’s Rivaldo Roberts secured second place in 10.12 seconds, while Canada’s Aaron Brown finished third in 10.15 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Omanyala credited the energy inside Nyayo Stadium for helping him stay focused, especially after the disruptions at the start.
After a mixed previous season, his recent back-to-back sub-10 performances suggest he is regaining peak form at the right time.
Consistency has often been the difference at the elite level, and Omanyala appears to be finding that rhythm again.
