Coach Julius Kirwa: Why Kenyan Men Were Outdone in Tokyo World Athletics Championships

Long-serving Team Kenya head coach Julius Kirwa has attributed the recent underwhelming performance of the country’s male athletes on the track to an emerging trend that sees younger runners prematurely switching to road races.

This comes in the wake of Kenya’s remarkable showing at the 2025 World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo, Japan, where the East African nation clinched an impressive seven gold medals and finished second globally behind the United States.

Kirwa made the comments after being named the September Coach of the Month, an honour bestowed upon him by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) in recognition of his leadership during the Tokyo championships. The veteran tactician, who has served as Kenya’s national athletics coach for 23 years, was at the helm as the team matched its best-ever medal haul at the World Championships—a feat widely praised by athletics stakeholders.

Despite the success, Kirwa expressed concern over the growing tendency of young athletes abandoning the track in favour of road races and marathons, often before reaching their peak in track events.

“The move by young athletes to road racing is really hurting track performance,” Kirwa said. “It’s unbelievable that athletes under the age of 30 years are quitting the track. This is something that must be addressed soon or there’ll be even worse outings for Team Kenya.”

Athletics Kenya president, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, defended the decision to retain Kirwa in the top coaching role for over two decades, citing his extensive experience and deep understanding of the sport.

“To achieve seven gold medals on such a global stage is not easy. It takes a lot of knowledge and experience, which Kirwa has. It also takes leadership, organisation and coordination that only come with years of dedication,” Tuwei said.

Kirwa beat a strong field of contenders to clinch the Coach of the Month award, including KCB Rugby Club’s Andrew Amonde, who guided his side to a stellar performance in the national 7s circuit. Others in the running included Duke Makuto, coach of the national U20 men’s volleyball team, and Bradley Ibs, head coach of Nairobi City Thunder basketball team.

With a coaching career spanning over two decades, Kirwa has become a pillar of Kenyan athletics. While celebrating the achievements in Tokyo, his warning about the exodus of young talent to road racing underscores the need for a national strategy to retain emerging athletes on the track—a space where Kenya has traditionally dominated and built its global athletics legacy.