A group of Kenyan athletes has strongly opposed Athletics Kenya’s (AK) decision to hold the men’s 10,000m and women’s 5,000m trials for the 2025 World Athletics Championships at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on July 5.
The race will serve as the official qualifier for the World Championships in Tokyo this September. Mirroring last year`s approach, when Ak used the same meet to select athletes for the Paris Olympics.
However, this year’s decision has sparked backlash. Kenyan athletes cite poor communication and a lack of transparency.
Kenyan Athletes Voice Frustration Over Lack of Communication and Fairness
“We should have been told well in advance of the trials being moved, and perhaps the date included in the calendar of events,” said one athlete who requested anonymity. “We can’t wake up one day and make decisions without even consulting us, our management, or coaches. It’s unacceptable.”
They criticised AK for failing to include the US trials in the official calendar unveiled last year.
“Many of us learned about this only after the announcement was made public, which caused confusion across training camps and online forums,” another athlete added.
Several Kenyan athletes questioned why AK holds only two events overseas while excluding the men’s 5,000m and women’s 10,000m. Young and upcoming runners expressed frustration, saying the move favors established stars with US visas or sponsorships.
“It feels like the door is closing on us, the younger athletes, who want to compete against top names like Beatrice Chebet and Agnes Ng’etich,” said a rising athlete.
On the other hand, Barnaba Korir, AK Executive Committee member, defended the decision, stating,
“The Prefontaine Classic offers a better environment for fast times compared to Nairobi’s high altitude. Four of the seven athletes who met the standards last year did so at Prefontaine.”
He acknowledged past visa delays that affected athletes like Daniel Ebenyo but assured that AK has addressed these issues. Meanwhile, Athletics Kenya rescheduled trials for other events to August 1–2 at Nairobi’s Ulinzi Sports Complex.
As pressure mounts, Kenyan athletes urge AK to adopt a more transparent and inclusive selection process ahead of the Tokyo World Championships.