Despite the challenges the inaugural 2025 Grand Slam Track Series poses, World 800m champion Mary Moraa is determined to achieve a back-to-back 800m world title. The 2025 World Championships are slated for 13-21 September in Tokyo, Japan, and if successful Moraa will become the third woman to achieve the feat.
The other two to have back-to-back world titles at the distance are South Africa’s Caster Semenya who won in Berlin 2009 and Daegu 2011, and Mara Mutola of Mozambique who defended her title in Saint-Denis 2003 afer triumphing in Edmonton 2001.
Moraa, the national record holder, has signed up for both the 800m and 1,500m races which kick-of f this Friday at Independence Park Kingston, Jamaica.
Spearheaded by retired American sprinter Michael Johnson, the high-stakes series offers a potential payout of Sh52million for athletes who win all the four Slams in their respective categories. Each Slam winner in each category will cash in Sh13million.
Moraa’s coach Alex Sang revealed that she will only participate in select Diamond League events to allow her sharpen her skills ready for the final.
“Our plan is to balance the Grand Slam and the Diamond League,” said Sang as per NationSport adding that Moraa will for the first time will skip the Kip Keino Classic scheduled for 31 May.
The 1:56.03 runner will face competition from Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji- who is fresh from winning silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Nikki Hiltz (USA), and Australia’s Jessica Hull.
Kamworor targets new Person Best in Netherlands
Two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor is hoping to shatter his personal best in his first 42km outing of the year at the Rotterdam Marathon on 13 April.
Kamworor currently holds a personal best of 2:04:23 set during the 2023 London Marathon, where he finished second just behind the world record holder, the late Kelvin Kiptum.
The 32-year-old is eyeing an even faster time on one of the fastest courses in Europe.
“I’m coming to Rotterdam to break my personal best,” Kamworor shared through his training camp, NN Running Team.
The flat, record-friendly streets of Rotterdam have witnessed some of the fastest times in marathon history. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi holds the course record of 2:03:36, set in 2021 and came close to that mark again in 2023 with a 2:03:47 finish.
The Dutch city also boasts two former world records, courtesy of Portugal’s Carlos Lopes (2:07:12 in 1985) and Ethiopia’s Belayneh Dinsamo (2:06:50 in 1988).
Kamworor enters Rotterdam fresh off a 58:44 second-place finish at the Barcelona Half Marathon on 16 February, where Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo stole the show with a stunning world record of 56:42.
The 2015 world 10,000m silver medalist is eager to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season that saw him miss out on the podium at the New York Marathon, finishing fifth in 2:08:50 in a race won by Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye (2:07:39). Evans Chebet (2:07:45) and Albert Korir (2:08:00) completed the podium in that race.
Two-day sprints and relay trails in readiness for Guangzhou
Athletics Kenya will hold special relay trials on 11-12 April as the country races against time to secure slots at the World Athletics Relays set for 10-11 May in Guangzhou, China.
Only the top 16 nations will secure qualification for the World Relay Championships, a crucial step ahead of the Tokyo World Championships later in September.
So far, only the mixed 4x400m relay team has secured qualification for the Championships in Guangzhou, China.
National sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki has revealed that the two-day selection event will exclusively focus on the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams, ensuring they meet the 13 April qualification deadline.
“Our main focus will be pushing the men’s and women’s 4x100m as well as the 4x400m for both men and women to secure qualification for China,” Mwaniki noted.
The men’s 4x100m is currently ranked 18 with a time of 38.61 set at the Nyayo Stadium last year while the 4x400m team is ranked 19th with a 3:02.34 time set in Douala, Cameroon. Meanwhile, the women’s teams are ranked 54th in the 4x100m and 29th in 4x400m.
The 4x400m mixed relay squad is already within the qualification bracket, ranked 10th with a time of 3:11.43 set last year at the Nyayo Stadium.
Mwaniki noted that having already secured qualification, they will not emphasize the mixed relay saying, “we will not be so keen on the 4x400m mixed.” However trials will be conducted to beef up the team.
The trials will feature a two-day competitive structure and will be by invitation, ensuring only top contenders compete for slots. The first day will see individual sprints in the 100m, 200m and 400m with selectors analyzing performances before forming relay teams for competition on the second day.
For the times to be World Athletics-approved, Kenya will have to compete against regional teams to boost competition.
