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Kip Keino Classic: Were defends 400m title, seals worlds slot
Kenyan Wiseman Were in action during the 400m hurdles at the Absa Kip Keino Classic at Ulinzi Sports Complex on May 31, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Were edged out Botswana’s Tisang Komorena, who clocked a personal best of 48.49 seconds to finish second, while Kenya’s Rotich Kipkorir also recorded a personal best of 49.17 to claim third place.
- “I spoke to Were before the race to push for sub-47 seconds, but we are still okay and happy for securing World Championships qualifying standards,” said Komorena.
The 2022 Africa 400 metres hurdles bronze medalist, Wiseman Were from Kenya, employed searing pace to win the race at Kip Keino Classic on Saturday at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
The 27-year-old also attained the qualification standard for the 2025 World Athletics Championships scheduled for September 13 to 21 this year in Tokyo. The World Athletics Championship qualifying time is 48.50 seconds.
The Kenya Defence Forces runner glided to a personal best time of 48.34 seconds to retain his title in the Kenyan round of the 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series Kip Keino Classic.
He also improved his previous career best time of 48.52 from his 2023 National Championships victory.
“It’s a great day for me. I had trained and prepared hard for this, having attempted it in Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Botswana (on April 12), and in Drakes Relays in Iowa, USA (on April 26),” said Were.
Were finished second at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in 49.07, and timed 49.43 at the Drake Relays for third place.
"I feel great to have made the world championships for the second time, and I hope to reach the finals at the event in Tokyo," Were, who reached the semi-finals during the 2023 world championships in Budapest, Hungary, observed.
He also competed at the Olympic Games for the first time last year in Paris,, where he reached the semi-final stage.
Were relegated Tisang Komorena from Botswana to second place in personal best time of 48.49sec as Kenya's Rotich Kipkorir returned personal best 49.17 to finish third.
"I spoke to Were before the race to push for sub 47 seconds but we are still okay and happy for securing world championships qualifying standards," said Komorena.
Elsewhere, the reigning Olympic and world hammer throw champion, Ethan Katzberg from Canada, hauled a world lead of 82.73 metres to retain his Absa Kip Keino Classic title on Saturday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Nene Zakithi from South Africa also blasted to a world lead of 43.76 seconds as he blew away the men’s 400 metres field.
Katzberg edged out Greguric Matija from Croatia, managing a personal best 76.68 to settle for second place as Hungarian Raba Daniel’s 75.93m gave him third place.
Kenya’s Dominic Abunda settled for eight place in season best 61.50.
Zakithi beat African Games champion Okezie Chidi to second place in 44.98 as Kenya’s Zablon Ekwam managed third place in 45.01.
George Malala won the men's shot put in a new championship record and personal best throw of 16.66m, beating the previous distance of 16.25m from 2023 by Peter Mwangi.
Foreigners dominated the men and women’s 5,000m with Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat running a solo race to win the women's race in 15:03.33 as Hailemariyam Amare from Ethiopia cleared the field in 13:34.02.