Daniel Ebenyo at the World Cross Country Championship/ FILE
In-form Daniel Ebenyo will be firmly in the spotlight at the Athletics Kenya National Championships/Commonwealth Games Trials this week as the 2023 World 10,000m silver medallist spearheads a star-studded men's 25-lap showdown.
Ebenyo heads into the race riding a wave of confidence after obliterating the Chicago Half Marathon course record on June 7. The 30-year-old distance ace stormed to victory in 1:00:39, producing a devastating finishing kick to outclass Americans Futsum Zienasellassie (1:01:37) and Bob Liking (1:01:55).
Beyond securing a place on the plane to Glasgow, Ebenyo also has unfinished business on the Commonwealth stage as he seeks to make a dominant return to the Games and upgrade the silver medal he won in 2022.
At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ebenyo clocked 27:11.26 to claim silver in the men's 10,000m, finishing behind Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, who struck gold in 27:09.19.
At this weekend's trials, the first athlete across the finish line in each event will secure automatic selection, provided he or she has met all the stipulated requirements. The selection of the second and third athletes, where necessary, will be at the discretion of the selection panel.
Speaking on Monday, AK Senior Vice President Paul Mutwii revealed that a total of 150 athletes have been invited for the trials in line with guidelines issued by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK).
“NOCK requested AK to submit a list of probable athletes, and about 400 athletes were initially presented altogether,” Mutwii said. “That number has since been trimmed to 150 athletes. This is to ensure that NOCK adequately prepares the athletes ahead of the Games.”
From the pool of 150 invited athletes, Athletics Kenya will ultimately select a 49-member team for Glasgow. “NOCK has given AK a quota of 49 athletes who will be selected for the Commonwealth Games,” Mutwii said.
The federation will also place significant emphasis on events in which Kenya possesses the strongest medal prospects. “Based on that quota, AK will focus on the disciplines where the nation is most likely to win medals,” he added.
Ebenyo has enjoyed a roller-coaster but largely encouraging 2026 campaign. He opened his season with a global podium finish at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10, clocking 28:45 for bronze behind Uganda's Kiplimo (28:18) and Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi (28:36).
The Kenyan distance ace, however, suffered a rare off day at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, fading to fifth place in the senior men's 10km race after posting 29:57.
His struggles continued at the New York Half Marathon on March 15, where he finished in disappointing 13th place in 1:00:50.
But the distance specialist has since rediscovered his rhythm. On May 25, he surged to a runner-up finish at the BOLDERBoulder 10km road race in 29:06 before producing his record-breaking masterclass in Chicago.
Ebenyo arrives at the trials carrying one of the most decorated résumés in the field, built on a string of impressive performances on the global stage.
In 2023, he clinched silver in the men's 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, clocking 27:52.60 behind Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, who won in 27:51.42.
That same year, he also secured silver at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, over the half marathon distance, posting 59:14 to finish behind world marathon record holder Sebastian Sawe, who clocked 59:10.
Ebenyo also boasts a silver medal from the 2022 African Championships in Port Louis, Mauritius, where he posted 13:38.79 in the men's 5,000m to finish behind Ethiopia's Hailemaryam Amare (13:36.79).
However, the seasoned campaigner faces a formidable challenge from rising distance sensation Silas Senchura. The 20-year-old heads to Nyayo fresh from claiming bronze at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, where he clocked 28:32.66 to finish behind compatriot Kevin Chesang (28:30.44) and Ethiopia's Hagos Eyob (28:30.57).
Adding further depth and intrigue to what promises to be a fiercely contested 10,000m battle are Weldon Langat, John Mwaniki, Victor Kimosop, Emmanuel Kipsang and Joseph Karanja.
