Kelvin Kiptum who broke the Men’s Marathon record in Chicago was on Friday, October 20 feted by President William Ruto during the Mashujaa Day Celebrations.
Kiptum was bestowed with a Hero Award following his outstanding performance where he ran a marathon under 2 hours and one minute in a competitive race while winning this year’s Chicago marathon in a new record 2 hours and 35 seconds.
He eclipsed compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s record of 2.01.29 set in 2018 in Berlin. Following his blistering run, he was nominated as World Male Athlete of the Year.
Double world record holder and double world champion Faith Kipyegon was also recognized for her record-setting feat that set three world records over 1,5000m,5,000, and 1 mile this year alone.
Faith, a double Olympic champion followed up her scintillating season with a double triumph at the World Athletics Championship in Hungary where she won the women’s 1,500m and 5,000m titles.
She is also among sports personalities nominated for World Female Athlete of the Year.
Pioneer men’s marathon world champion Douglas Wakihuri was also feted in Nyeri County for his exceptional record on the track. Wakihuri became the first Kenyan to win a men’s marathon at the World Championship when he triumphed at the 1987 games in Rome and also went on to win a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
Wakihuri also has a road named after him in the Kenyan Capital, Nairobi.
World 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi was also recognized and feted in Bungoma County while Japhet Musyoki Musee was also bestowed with the Heroes award in Kitui County. Japheth is credited with pioneering sports among people living with a disability. He won a silver medal at the 1980 Paralympics games in shotput. He went on to win gold in the discipline at the 1984 Paralympics Games where he also won silver in discuss.
Rugby Legend Prof Max Muniafu was also honored for his trailblazing role when he captained the pioneer national rugby sevens team at the 1986 Hong Kong sevens.
Muniafu retired in 2000 after 18 illustrious years on the rugby pitch.
Other sportspersons feted include a national men’s cricket team member who was part of the squad that reached the 2003 World Cup semi-final Joseph Angara, former national women’s netball team captain Dorothy Omondi, wheelchair tennis player Jane Ndenga and boxing promoter Franklyn Imbenzi.
Others feted are deaf football proponent Stephen Waweru, wrestler Kennedy Ochieng, Taekwondo’s Ronald Lukalo, former basketball player Kennedy Odegi, former handball player Nixon Mwanda Oyaro, sitting volleyballer Doris Nyangor, Amputee football coach and former national amputee football team captain Dalmas Otieno,2023 Tokyo Marathon winner Rosemary Wanjiru and wrestler Peter Onyango.
