Kenya’s 4x400m mixed relay team shatters African record,seals Beijing worlds slot

Kenya’s 4x400m mixed relay team underlined the country’s growing strength in sprint relays after storming to an African record and booking a place at next year’s World Athletics Championships.

The quartet of George Mutinda, Mercy Oketch, Kelvin Tonui and Mercy Chebet clocked a historic 3:09.87 at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana, smashing the previous African mark and sealing qualification for the global showpiece in Beijing.

The performance, one of Kenya’s finest in relay history, highlighted the country’s growing ambition to establish itself beyond its traditional dominance in middle and long-distance running.

The team’s display drew praise from Barnabas Korir, who hailed the athletes for setting a new benchmark in Kenyan athletics.
“A special congratulations to our 4x400m mixed relay squad for a historic African record, securing qualification for the World Athletics Championships and advancing to the next round. This is the standard we believe in,” Korir said.

Kenya also celebrated another milestone in the 4x100m mixed relay after the team clocked a national record of 41.38 seconds to finish fourth, underlining the progress being made in the sprint ranks.

Korir lauded the entire team for the spirited performances, saying the results were proof of the steady growth of Kenya’s relay programme.

The strong showing in Botswana will boost Kenya’s confidence as preparations begin for Beijing, where the relay teams will seek to build on their momentum and compete against the world’s elite.