Olympic and world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and World 10,000m and 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet defended their Sportsman and Woman of the Year crowns during the 22nd edition of the SOYA Awards held on Friday evening at Uhuru Gardens.
Last year, Wanyonyi edged out Ronald Kwemoi and Benson Kipruto to clinch the prestigious accolade following his commanding exploits at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
At this year’s glittering gala, the two-lap maestro once again rose above the pack, finishing ahead of Harambee Stars forward Ryan Ogam and London Marathon champion Sebastian Sawe.
The 800m ace enjoyed a stellar 2025 campaign, headlined by a maiden world title in Tokyo, where he delivered a blistering championship record of 1:41.86.
In a race for the ages, Wanyonyi held off Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:41.90) and Canada’s Marco Arop (1:41.95) in a pulsating finish.
His time in Tokyo obliterated the previous championship mark of 1:42.34 set by American Donovan Brazier at the Doha 2019 World Championships, underlining his growing dominance on the global stage.
Wanyonyi’s supremacy was further cemented by his world-leading time of 1:41.44, clocked at the Monaco Diamond League, the fastest over the distance in 2025.
Across the Diamond League circuit, the Kenyan sensation proved untouchable, culminating in a triumphant finals victory in Zurich, where he timed 1:42.37 to lift the coveted trophy.
His golden run also included victories in Oslo (1:42.78), Stockholm (1:41.95), Monaco (1:41.44) and London (1:42.00), a streak that firmly established him as the man to beat in the 800m.
Unsurprisingly, his scintillating season earned him the 2025 World Athletics Male Track Athlete of the Year award in Monaco.
Who did Beatrice Chebet beat to retain the 2026 SOYA crown?
Meanwhile, Beatrice Chebet also tightened her grip on the women’s crown, successfully defending her title ahead of Faith Kipyegon and Faith Cherotich, who finished second and third, respectively.
At last year’s SOYA gala, Chebet had similarly reigned supreme, with Kipyegon and Hellen Obiri completing the podium.
The 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder once again delivered a season to remember in 2025, capping it with a historic double at the Tokyo World Championships.
She had earlier in the year added the 5,000m world record to her accolades after posting 13:58.06, set on July 5, 2025, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, the first woman in history to dip under 14-minutes.
