Emmanuel Wanyonyi has received one of the highest honours in global sports after being named the World Athletics Male Track Athlete of the Year.
The award was announced during the World Athletics Awards held in Monaco on Sunday, November 30. His victory marks another major milestone in what has become one of the most impressive early careers in middle-distance running.
The recognition followed a two-month voting process that involved both the World Athletics Council and the public. After the votes were counted, Wanyonyi emerged as the top athlete in the track and field category, beating several world-class competitors.
Among those he outshone was American sprinter Noah Lyles, who has dominated sprint events in recent years. Wanyonyi’s triumph shows how much he has risen in global athletics and how strongly he has captured the admiration of fans and experts.
At just 21 years old, Wanyonyi has already built a reputation as the strongest athlete in the men’s 800m. Over the last two years, he has won every major title available in his race.
His biggest moment came during the Paris Olympics, where he claimed the gold medal in the men’s 800m final with a personal best of 1:41.19.
This performance not only secured his Olympic title but also placed him among the fastest 800m runners in history.A year after his Olympic win, he continued his dominance by winning the world title in Tokyo.
There, he ran a championship record time of 1:41.86, further proving that his success was not a one-time achievement but the result of consistent hard work and outstanding talent.
Throughout the season, Wanyonyi won several 800m races in major cities including Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco, and London.
He also secured the Diamond League trophy for the third consecutive year after winning the final in Zurich.
Kenya’s success on the global stage did not end with Wanyonyi. Sebastian Sawe was also celebrated during the event, taking home the World Athletics Out-of-the-Stadium Athlete of the Year award.
Sawe’s achievements in road running have been remarkable. In April, he won his first London Marathon with an impressive time of 2:02:27.
He later followed it up with another major win at the Berlin Marathon in October, finishing in 2:02:16. During the awards, he competed against Tanzania’s world champion Alphonce Simbu, making his victory even more notable.
Another young Kenyan star, 17-year-old Edmund Serem, was recognised as the 2025 World Athletics Male Rising Star of the Year.
Serem won a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase during the World Championships in Tokyo, becoming the youngest athlete ever to win a medal in that event. His achievement signals a bright future and adds to Kenya’s growing list of promising talents.
The awards ceremony in Monaco highlighted Kenya’s strength in athletics, with Wanyonyi, Sawe, and Serem all showing the world that the country remains a powerhouse in long-distance and middle-distance running.
