Double Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon capped off her season in spectacular fashion by winning the 1500m race at the Athlos Athletic Meet in New York City early this morning.
Kipyegon clocked an impressive time of 4 minutes and 4.79 seconds, finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji and fellow Kenyan Susan Ejore-Sanders, who took second and third place, respectively.
Despite battling season fatigue, the Kenyan world record holder showcased her remarkable speed in the final 200 meters, securing the victory and earning a staggering USD 60,000 (approximately Sh7.7 million) reward, marking her most lucrative win in athletics to date.
The Athlos NYC meet is notable for being the first female-only track event funded by Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband to retired tennis star Serena Williams. This prestigious event attracted 36 of the world’s top track athletes specializing in short and middle-distance running.
With one of the largest prize purses in athletics history, the winning amount was double that typically offered in the Diamond League. Second and third-place finishers were awarded $25,000 (Sh3.2 million) and $10,000 (Sh1.3 million), respectively, while athletes finishing fourth to sixth received $8,000 (Sh1 million), $5,000 (Sh644,000), and $2,500 (Sh322,000).
In the 800m event, Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa finished in second place, clocking in at 1 minute and 58.05 seconds, with the race being won by Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma.
Kipyegon, Moraa, and Ejore were the only Kenyan athletes to compete in this inaugural event, further highlighting their talents on an international stage.
