Kenya Given Shot at Redemption in 4x400m Relay Against USA After World Athletics Ruling

Kenya have been handed a dramatic lifeline at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as their men’s 4x400m relay team will face the USA in a head-to-head re-run for a coveted spot in the final.

World Athletics ruled that both nations were impeded during their heats on Saturday and will therefore race again under identical conditions — same four runners, same order, same lanes — for one final ticket to the championship showdown.

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The Kenyan quartet of George Mutinda, David Sangaek Kapirante, Dennis Masika Mulongo, and Kevin Kipkorir clocked 3:00.76 in Heat 1, a spirited effort that saw them finish just outside automatic qualification.

They were edged out by South Africa, Qatar, and the Netherlands, with the Dutch narrowly beating them by just over half a second (3:00.23).

It was a heartbreakingly fine margin for Kenya as the time was quicker than several other nations in the competition, including China, USA, France, and Zambia, yet it was not enough to earn one of the two fastest-loser places after a blistering second heat produced times under 2:59 for all qualifiers.

Botswana, led by Letsile Tebogo, stormed through with a sensational 2:57.68 — the fastest of all the rounds — pushing Kenya further down the qualification ladder.

But fortune has smiled on the Kenyans. With the review panel acknowledging that their progress may have been hampered by interference in the final leg of the heat, they now have one last chance to fight for a place in the final.

The USA will share this redemption moment, having also been judged to be impeded in the same heat. Their team had finished with 3:01.06, a rare sight for the traditionally dominant Americans in the men’s 4x400m relay.

Sunday morning’s re-run promises to be a thriller, as two proud relay nations go head-to-head in a unique, winner-takes-all battle.

Both teams are under strict instruction to use the same athletes and the same running order as in the first round, preserving fairness.

The re-run is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. local time in Tokyo (4:40 am EAT Sunday for Kenyan fans), setting the stage for what could be one of the most dramatic moments of the Championships.

Elsewhere, drama continues on the track as South Africa’s men’s 4x100m team will also get a solo re-run on Sunday morning, after being ruled to have been impeded in their qualifying heat. If they clock 38.34 seconds or faster, they will claim the ninth and final place in the sprint relay final, lining up in lane one.