Mathew Kipsang Executes Clever Strategy to Deliver Kenya’s Third Gold at Commonwealth Games

Mathew Kipsang delivered Kenya’s third gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after running a tactical race to win the men’s 5,000m race on Saturday.

Kipsang, alongside compatriots Cornelius Kemboi and Andre Kiptoo, were carrying Kenya’s medal hopes and as the race went on, it looked like the country was set for good tidings.

It was Kemboi who showed early promise, however, taking the lead with five laps to go, a strategy that would later prove costly.

The Kenyans stayed in the leading pack for most of the race before Kemboi went ahead with four laps remaining and then retreated when the race started getting stretched.

All this time, Kipsang was lurking just behind and he waited until the bell went before showing his claws. At the final bend, Kipsang kicked hard and left everyone behind, going on to win gold in a time of 13:23.61.

For Kemboi, the tactic to go ahead early did not work as he ran out of steam at the final straight, watching haplessly as Ky Robinson from Australia and India’s Gulveer Singh bypassed him to win silver and bronze respectively only to settle for fourth place.

Robinson clocked 13:24.70 with Singh coming home in 13:24.95 while Kemboi timed 13:24.95 for his disappointing fourth place.

Kipsang’s win ends Kenya’s long wait for Commonwealth 5,000m gold with the country having last claimed the title through Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku at the 2014 Games in the very same city of Glasgow.