Oketch, Kibet front Kenya’s six-member team for World Indoors
Noah Kibet on way to winning the 800M Heat Five event during the Athletics Kenya Pre-Trials for Olympics at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on May 27, 2021. PhotoEvans OdariSportpicha
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National indoor record holder Mercy Adongo Oketch, Olympian Susan Lokayo Ejore, youngster Noah Kibet, experienced distance runner Jacob Krop, Rosemary Longisa, and Brian Omari Tinega headline the squad.
Ejore showed resilience during the last championships, finishing fifth in the women’s 1500m final in 4:03.89 , in a race won by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay , who set a championship record of 3:54.86 .
In the men’s 800m, Kibet — the 2022 silver medallist — will be aiming to go one better when he returns to the indoor championships. Kibet featured at the 2025 edition in Nanjing where he clocked 1:48.90 to finish fourth in his semi-final heat, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
The race was eventually won by American Josh Hoey in 1:44.77 , ahead of Belgium’s Eliott Crestan (1:44.81) and Spain’s Elvin Canales (1:45.03).
Kenya will also rely on Krop, who returns to the team after finishing fifth in the 3000m at the 2022 championships
Longisa heads to the championships on the back of an impressive indoor campaign that saw her clock 1:59.71 in the 800m at
the Husky Classic in Washington.
Meanwhile, Oketch arrives in top form after rewriting the Kenyan indoor 400m record three times this season, most recently
posting 51.53 seconds in France .
The three-day championships will bring together the world’s top indoor athletes as Kenya looks to make a stronger impact this time around.
Team Kenya – World Indoor Championships 2026
Men
400m: Brian Omari Tinega
800m: Noah Kibet
3000m: Jacob Krop
Women
400m: Mercy Adongo Oketch
800m: Rosemary Longisa
1500m: Susan Lokayo Ejore
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