Oregon-bound Cherotich reigns supreme at Nairobi Athletics Champs
Rising track star Faith Cherotich continued her stellar run of form by comfortably claiming victory in the women's 5,000m at the Athletics Kenya Nairobi Region Championships held at the Nairobi West Prisons Ground on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
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Fresh from her dominant performance at the national Under-20 trials, rising track star Faith Cherotich continued her stellar run of form by comfortably claiming victory in the women's 5,000m at the Athletics Kenya Nairobi Region Championships held at the Nairobi West Prisons Ground on Wednesday.
Representing the Lang'ata region, Cherotich clocked a commanding 16mins 35.8secs to win the 12.5-lap event, crossing the finish line ahead of her competitor Viola Chepkirui, who secured second place in 16:54.0.
The youngster revealed that moving up to the 5,000m race was a deliberate tactical decision to test her endurance and speed as she fine-tunes her preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon, USA set for August.
“I was just testing my body to see if it responds well as we prepare to head out to Oregon for the Under-20 championships,” Cherotich said. “The race felt good, and it was a great opportunity to gauge my tactical awareness.”
Just weeks prior, Cherotich turned heads at the U20 trials where she convincingly won the 3,000m flat event.
Her decision to step into senior-level regional competition over a longer distance highlights her growing versatility and tactical maturity.
Her race strategy at the Prisons Ground mirrored that of an experienced veteran, staying tucked within the leading pack before launching a decisive kick to open up a comfortable gap in the final laps.
Looking ahead to a busy international and domestic calendar, Cherotich confirmed she intends to double up at the upcoming National Championships.
“When I go to the Nationals, I am planning to compete in both the 3,000m steeplechase and the 5,000m,” she revealed.
With her current form, she remains one of Kenya's brightest prospects for global glory on the track this year.
In other results from the track programme, Tabitha Wanjiku of Embakasi set the track ablaze in the women's 10,000m, clocking 16mins 16.01seconds to edge out Lang'ata’s Florence Chepkoech, who finished in 16:34.4.
In the men's 5,000m final, Paul Kimani delivered a stellar performance for Embakasi, stopping the clock at 14:27.5 to secure gold.
He was followed closely by Westlands’ Benjamin Kiprop in 14:50.2, while Lang'ata’s Kenneth Maho completed the podium spots in third place with a time of 14:57.5.
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