The Kenyan Athletics Championships is an annual
track and field meeting which serves as
Kenya's
national championships
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, i ...
for the sport.
Athletics Kenya, the country's governing body for
athletics organises the event.
The championships is usually held over a three-day period and the location varies, though the capital
Nairobi is a frequent choice as it has both
Nyayo National Stadium and the
Moi International Sports Centre. The national championships may also serve as the trials for selection to the national team for competitions such as the
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...
,
Olympic Games,
African Championships in Athletics and the
Africa Games.
On some occasions the trial events are held separately from the main national championships. As a result of this, the national championships can be less of a focus for Kenyan athletes and lesser performances are produced, with slow tactical races common in the
long-distance track events. Athletics Kenya mitigates this by offering cash bonuses for national champions.
The championships was well established by the 1980s, hosting a full range of Olympic-level individual track events for men. By 1981, the women's programme featured track races from
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
to
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...
, two hurdles events,
high jump
The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
,
long jump, three throws (
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
,
discus,
javelin
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...
),
heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...
and a
20,000 metres track walk
The 20,000 metres race walk is a racewalking event. The event is competed as a track race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supporting leg must remain straight until the raised leg passes it. 20,000 metres is 12.4274 m ...
. A
10,000 metres
The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...
was introduced in 1987, a
triple jump following in 1991, then the
steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
and
hammer throw came in 1998. The addition of the women's
pole vault in 1999 marked parity of events between the sexes at the Kenyan Championships.
Kenyan Championships
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-09-09.
Editions
* 2015 Athletics Kenya World Championship Trials The 2015 Athletics Kenya World Championship Trials the athletics meeting held by Athletics Kenya to select the representatives to the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China The meet was held July 31 to August 1, 2015 in Nyayo Natio ...
* 2016 Athletics Kenya Olympic Trials The 2016 Athletics Kenya Olympic Trials the athletics meeting held by Athletics Kenya to select the representatives to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meet was held June 29-30, 2016 in Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Kenya
...
Championships records
Men
Women
References
{{national championships in athletics
Athletics competitions in Kenya
National athletics competitions