By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (September 6^th 2025)

The 3000 Metres Steeplechase – Kenya’s Signature Event

The legendary Olympic champion, Amos Biwott, is the Father of Kenyan Steeplechasing – the race that encompasses the DNA of Kenyan athletics. The 3000 metres steeplechase became the signature event for Kenya. Biwott was the first Kenyan to win Olympic gold at that event in México’s Olympiad of 1968. He named his compatriot and silver medallist behind him, the late Benjamin Kojo as one of his idols. Kojo was the first to represent Kenya at the Olympic Games in Tokyo four years earlier.

Since Biwott won the first of Kenya’s gold medals at the Olympic Games in this event, Kenyan athletes have won ten gold medals at the Olympic Games with Ezekiel Kemboi winning twice (2004 and 2012) – eleven silver or bronze medals were won at the Olympics and Kenya swept the medals in 1992.

Between 1991 and 2003 six gold medals were won by Kenyan men at the World Championships 3000m Steeplechase and the streak was broken by a Kenyan-born athlete, Saif Saaeed Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono, won in 2003 and 2005 – Ezekiel Kemboi won the silver medal in both races and again in 2007 behind Brimin Kipruto in the first Kenyan sweep of the medals. Kemboi won the next four gold medals – the last two with Conselsus Kipruto winning silver. Kipruto won the next two in 2017 and 2019.

The second Kenyan streak at the World Championships was ended by the current world champion, Morocco’s Soufiane El-Bakkali who retained his title in 2023. Kenyans have won nineteen silver or bronze medals in the men’s 3000 metres Steeplechase at the World Championship.

The Swede Josef Ternström was the first to set a recognised world record for the men’s 3000m Steeplechase on July 4^th 1914 – women were not permitted to compete in the event then. His time was 9 minutes 48.4 seconds. The first Kenyan to break the world record in this event was the late Ben Jipcho on January 15^th 1973 in Lagos, Nigeria, with a time of 8 minutes 20.8 seconds.

Jipcho broke his own mark twice that year – both times in Helsinki, Finland. His best world record of 8 minutes 13.91 seconds was set on June 27^th 1973. Five other Kenyans, including the late multiple world record-holder, Henry Rono have held the men’s world record at the event. The best world record set by a Kenyan athlete in this event was by Bernard Barmasai. On August 24^th 1997 Barmasai ran a time of 7 minutes 55.72 seconds in Köln, Germany. Four years to the day later, Morocco’s Brahim Boulani set a new world record for the 3000m Steeplechase of 7 minutes 55.28 seconds in Brussels.

Combatting the Step Back

Kenyan women have also distinguished themselves in its signature race – their record will be detailed in The Signature Event of Kenyan Athletics (Part Two), which will be published soon.

Kenyan men’s athletics is experiencing a downturn (step back) in the event currently – that is inevitable. It is how it copes with it that matters. The Veteran Athletes Association have a plan to address this through its Mentorship Scheme. Amos Biwott will be the first of them. On September 1^st at the VAA’s Converse Meeting a promising but currently recovering from injury Steeplechaser, Leonard Kipkemoi Bett got to meet and be inspired by some of the greatest Steeplechasers Kenya has ever produced, led by Amos Biwott.