Reigning Athletics Kenya (AK) national 10,000m champion Loice Chemnung has revealed the reason she will not represent Kenya at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow despite winning the national trials held in Nairobi last week.
Chemnung crossed the finish line in 31:46.90 ahead of African Championships gold medallist Diana Wanza, who came in second in 31:56.80, a performance that would typically have guaranteed her automatic selection to represent Kenya in Glasgow next month.
However, Chemnung’s name was notably absent when AK unveiled the final team, with Wanza and Yangzhou Half-Marathon record holder Miriam Chebet instead selected to compete in the event over the distance.
Speaking in an interview, Chemnung revealed that she had opted to forego Glasgow to focus on preparations for the Chicago Marathon in October, as she shifts her attention fully to long-distance road racing.
“I am very happy to have defended my title. My main focus now is the marathon, and preparing for it is very different from a 10,000m race. The marathon requires more time and specialised training, so I will be returning to continue my preparations for the Chicago Marathon,” she told Mozzart Sport.
Chemnung will be returning to Chicago, where she made her marathon debut in October 2025, finishing fourth over 42 kilometres in a time of 2:18:24 behind Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa and Megertu Alemu, and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri, who completed the podium.
At the Boston Marathon in April, Chemnung finished second in 2:19:35, behind compatriot Sharon Lokedi, who won in 2:18:51, further underlining her consistency at the elite level. She now heads back to Chicago, aiming to build on those performances and continue her progression on the world marathon stage.
“Defending the title (national) was not easy because the competition was very strong. I am grateful to have retained it, and this year I want to keep pushing myself, improve my performances, and break even more records,” she said.
Kenya will be represented at the Commonwealth Games, scheduled for July 23 to August 2, 2026, by a strong team of more than 30 athletes competing in track and field events. The squad will be spearheaded by sprint star Ferdinand Omanyala, world 800m champion Lilian Odira, and former world 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot.
Other notable names in the team include African Championships gold medallist Kelvin Loti (800m) and Diana Wanza (10,000m), alongside national decathlon record holder Edwin Too, world 3,000m bronze medallist Edmund Serem, and Commonwealth javelin gold medallist Julius Yego.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google