KDF's Mercy Oketch Opens Up After Breaking Mary Moraa's 400m Record at Kip Keino Classic

KDF's Mercy Oketch Opens Up After Breaking Mary Moraa's 400m Record at Kip Keino Classic

Abigael Wafula 10:39 - 03.06.2025

Mercy Oketch reflected on her record-breaking run at the Kip Keino Classic, revealing what it took to surpass Mary Moraa's 400m mark.

Mercy Oketch has revealed what it took for her to finally snatch the 400m national record from Mary Moraa at the sixth edition of the Kip Keino Classic.

The world 4X400m mixed relays bronze medallist was in a class of her own as she clocked a personal best time of 50.14 seconds, as Uganda’s Leni Shida came in second, also clocking a personal best time of 50.93 seconds.

Another Kenyan, Mercy Chebet, also clocked a personal best time of 51.52 seconds to round up the podium in the race.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

The qualifying time for the 400m at the World Championships is 50.75 seconds, and with her time of 50.14, the Kenya Defense Forces officer seamlessly qualified for the global showpiece in Tokyo, Japan, in September.

Mercy Oketch: I’ve Given My Best Shot

Mercy Oketch
Mercy Oketch

Mercy Oketch recounted how tough the race was, but she had no choice but to keep going since she had goals to accomplish.

The 22-year-old revealed that she had worked on her mentality going into the race, and since her main goal was to qualify for the World Championships, nothing could stop her at that moment.

She pointed out that her starts were also not the best, and she had to put in the work to address them ahead of the Kip Keino Classic showdown at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

Having addressed the minor challenges going into the race, Mercy Oketch was ready to shine, and she surely showed up without fail.

“The race was not easy, but I’ve given my best shot since I wanted to qualify for the World Championships, and I also wanted to break the national record; so far I have all of it,” Mercy Oketch revealed after the race.

“I had prepared mentally…I was okay. In the previous years, I never used to speak about what I wanted to achieve until it came, so it was more of a build-up towards this. I have improved a lot from the start.

“In the previous races, I never had great starts, and everyone was always telling me I had a poor start, so I went and improved on it; that’s why I’ve given my best shot now.”

Mercy Oketch started her season with a 4x400m relay and a 400m race at the Sprints Build-up & Trials for World Athletics Relays Championships in Kenya.

She then proceeded to the 5th AK Track & Field Weekend Meeting/Relay Series, claiming top honours in the 4x400m relay before competing at the World Athletics Relays.

After the Kip Keino Classic heroics, Mercy Oketch now shifts focus to build-up races ahead of the World Championships trials.

Tags: