Mercy Oketch: Kenya’s Sprint Queen Breaks Barriers at Kip Keino Classic
Mercy Oketch, just 22, has sprinted into the national spotlight with a stunning, record-breaking performance at the 2025 Kip Keino Classic.
Kenyan teenage athlete Mercy Oketch. Photo/Citizen Digital.
By Gilbert Mmbaya
Move over, long-distance legends — there’s a new star lighting up Kenyan athletics, and this time, it’s all about speed.
Mercy Oketch, just 22, has sprinted into the national spotlight with a stunning, record-breaking performance at the 2025 Kip Keino Classic.
On a cool Nairobi evening at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, she blazed through the women’s 400m in 50.14 seconds, smashing the previous national record of 50.38 set by Mary Moraa.
With that historic finish, Oketch not only rewrote the record books — she also secured a ticket to this year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“I’ve been grinding hard, especially on my start and execution,” said a beaming Oketch after the race. “Breaking the record is huge, but this is just the beginning.”
Born and raised in Migori, Oketch’s rise has been anything but overnight. From sprinting barefoot at school meets to donning the Kenya Defence Forces jersey, she’s fought her way up — fueled by discipline, grit, and raw talent.
Earlier this year, she helped Kenya bag bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay at the World Relays in Guangzhou. That versatility has turned heads — and sparked fresh conversations about Kenya’s potential in sprinting.
“Kenya has long ruled the world in middle and long-distance,” said Athletics Kenya’s Paul Mutwii. “But athletes like Mercy are flipping the script. She’s brought new energy and belief into our sprints.”
And she’s not done yet.
With Tokyo 2025 just around the corner, Oketch is deep in training — driven by one mission: to show that Kenyan sprinters can stand toe-to-toe with powerhouses like the U.S. and Jamaica.
“I want to prove that we belong on that stage. That we can win, not just run,” she said.
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