NAIROBI, Kenya - In a decision that has sent ripples through the global athletics community, Kenyan world champions and record-holders Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet have been omitted from the final list of nominees for the 2025 Women's World Track Athlete of the Year award. The announcement was made by World Athletics on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Despite their stellar, history-making seasons, the final contest will be between American 400m world champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Dutch 400m hurdles world champion Femke Bol.

The exclusion of the two Kenyan superstars has been met with surprise in Kenya and beyond, given their dominant performances throughout the year. Kipyegon, 31, had an extraordinary season, successfully defending her 1500m world title for a record fourth time at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. Earlier, on July 5, 2025, she shattered her own 1500m world record at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA, clocking an astonishing 3:48.68. She also secured a silver medal in the 5000m in Tokyo, finishing behind compatriot Chebet.

Beatrice Chebet, 25, was equally formidable. She achieved a historic distance double at the Tokyo World Championships, winning gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m. Her victory in the 10,000m on September 13 was Kenya's first gold of the championships. Chebet also etched her name in the history books at the Prefontaine Classic, becoming the first woman to run the 5000m in under 14 minutes, setting a new world record of 13:58.06. Both Kipyegon and Chebet were part of the initial longlist of nominees announced in October.

Three Kenyans Remain in Contention

While the nation reels from the exclusion of its top female track athletes, three other Kenyans have advanced to the final stage of the World Athletics Awards. Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Peres Jepchirchir, and Sabastian Sawe are among the 12 finalists across all categories.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi is a finalist for the Men's Track Athlete of the Year. The 21-year-old had a commanding season in the 800m, winning the world title in Tokyo with a championship record time of 1:41.86 on September 20, 2025. He also secured the Diamond League crown and ran a world-leading time of 1:41.44 during the season. He will contend with American 200m world champion Noah Lyles for the award.

Peres Jepchirchir is a finalist for the Women's Out-of-Stadium Athlete of the Year. Her crowning achievement was a dramatic victory in the women's marathon at the World Championships on September 14, 2025, where she outsprinted Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa in the final metres to win gold. This victory made her the first Kenyan to hold both Olympic and World Championship marathon titles.

Sabastian Sawe earned his place as a finalist for the Men's Out-of-Stadium Athlete of the Year. Sawe has had a remarkable start to his marathon career, winning all three marathons he has contested. In 2025, he claimed victory at both the prestigious London and Berlin marathons. His winning time of 2:02:16 in Berlin on September 21 was the fastest in the world this year. His performances also saw him crowned the winner of the 2025 Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

Global Context and Voting Process

The finalists were determined through a three-way voting process, combining votes from the World Athletics Council (50%), the World Athletics Family (25%), and a public vote via social media (25%). A final round of fan voting, open from November 4 to November 9, will help select the overall World Athletes of the Year from the winners of the track, field, and out-of-stadium categories.

The American finalists for the women's track award, McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol, both had undefeated seasons. McLaughlin-Levrone won the flat 400m world title in Tokyo with 47.78, the second-fastest time in history, and also anchored the US 4x400m relay team to gold. Bol was the world and Diamond League champion in the 400m hurdles, clocking the three fastest times of the year.

The winners will be announced at the World Athletics Awards ceremony in Monaco on Sunday, November 30, 2025 (EAT). The exclusion of Kipyegon and Chebet, despite their record-breaking feats, raises questions about the award criteria and will likely fuel discussions on how performances across different disciplines are weighed against each other.