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Athlete Tecla Cheserek makes a strategic switch from 5000m to the 3000m steeplechase, eyeing a spot in Kenya’s Commonwealth Games squad.

In the unforgiving world of Kenyan athletics, adaptation is the key to survival. Tecla Cheserek, a name usually associated with the rhythmic grind of the 5,000m, has made a bold gamble. She is crossing over to the grueling 3,000m steeplechase, aiming to conquer the barriers and the water jump to book her ticket to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
It is a transition that has broken many athletes. The steeplechase requires a unique blend of endurance and agility—the lungs of a marathoner and the legs of a hurdler. But Cheserek is not just dipping her toes in the water; she is diving in headfirst.
"I usually run the 5,000m, but after running the steeplechase last year, I realized it suited me well," Cheserek revealed. It was a moment of epiphany on the track.
The steeplechase is Kenya’s event. It is our heritage. We own the barriers. Seeing a 5,000m runner switch disciplines shows the intense internal competition in our athletics. When one door closes (or becomes too crowded), you kick down another.
Cheserek’s journey will be watched closely. If she succeeds, she joins the pantheon of versatile Kenyan legends. If she fails, the water jump will be a cold, wet reminder of the risk she took. But as they say in Iten, "No pain, no podium."
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