Pomp And Colour As Athletics Stars Lit Up Kip Absa Kip Keino Classic Meet

Mascot with traditional dancers during the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic- World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi event at Ulinzi Complex on May 31, 2025.

NAIROBI, Kenya- The sixth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series lived upto it’s billing at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on Saturday.

Fans came in their numbers, from far and wide to witness the athletics spectacle, and not even the Sh2000 and Sh 200 charges for VIP and regular entrance at the gate could deter them from gracing the colourful showpiece.

The spectators largely were drawn to the championship by the calibre of athletes who jetted into the country from all corners of the globe to look for glory in the challenge.

Fans during the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic- World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi event at Ulinzi Complex on May 31, 2025.

From the graceful American Maia MacCoy who is currently the African 100m silver medalist,  to former solid Olympic javelin champion Thomas Rohler who managed to retain his last year’s sliver in the championship.

Cheers and jeers rented the air when African sprint king and continental men’s 100m record holder  Ferdinand Omanyala lined up to take on South Africa’s  teenage sensation Bayanda ‘Wobble Wobble’ Walaza in the highly expectant race.

The decibels, raised by the fans and the cheering squads from the disciplined forces, rented the air through screams, whistles and vuvuzelas, which were completely deafening. Fans could hardly hear each other in the stadium.

Various organisations, including the government that sunk Sh 300 million and title sponsors Absa Bank Kenya who supported the event to a tune of Sh 60 Million all jostled for spaces to make their lovely brands visible to the boisterous crowd.

Mascot with traditional dancers during the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic- World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi event at Ulinzi Complex on May 31, 2025.

“We are contented with the whole event, the solid planning and  organisation that was put in place has just revealed that the championship is growing from strength to strength each season,” Mwihaki Wachira, Absa Bank Kenya Marketing  and Corporate Affairs Director stated.

It is by no doubt the event made Nairobi’s economy to boom at the weekend; hotels were fully booked and the whole  finacial ecosystem flowed; from boda boda riders, to Uber and taxi drivers to matatus plying  Langata and Rongai routes which were all jammed and packed by revellers headed or leaving the championship.

Hawkers made a kill with vendors  selling miniature Kenyan flags which were snapped in droves, including the caps. The vendors also sold  shoes and jerseys branded with Kenyan logos, which spectators couldn’t tell whether they were fake or authentic.

Food stuffs, cold drinks, barbecue, buffets were sold like hot cake to the hungry crowd.

The adjacent Wilson Airport, one of the busiest airport fields in  East and Central Africa, came to a standstill as a result of the championship as all the planes landing  or taking off in the afternoon were diverted to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Security was so tight at the Ulinzi Sports Complex that is also being  manned by the military, with both the aerial and ground surveillance being done by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Fans during the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic- World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi event at Ulinzi Complex on May 31, 2025.

The traffic police men manned the busy routes leading to Langata estate and Rongai which are adjacent to the venue, with the the hawk eyed KDF soldiers having total control of the championship entrance.

No one was allowed entry without their national identity card even if they had tickets  for the races.

The championship opening ceremony was very colourful, with various music groups belting out contemporary and topical genres that resonated well with the audiences.

It was lovely to see how spectators were gyrating to hits like ‘Mali Safi Chito, Sweet Love by Marakwet Daughter and _Anguka Nayo by Jabidii.

The crowd went wild when artiste if the day, Furthermore,  stepped on the stage to bring the roof down. Comedians like Erick Omondi also capitalized on the opportunity to produce hilarious adverts for the championship that left athletics fans in stitches.

Mercy Oketch wins the 400m women’s final during the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic- World Continental Tour Gold Nairobi event at Ulinzi Complex on May 31, 2025.

The presence of various athletics agents from across the world and from the Kenya’s Home of Champions, Iten, could be felt as they scrutinised emerging talents they are eager to ‘lure’ into their camps.

Ahead of the championship, World Athletics and the Government organized workshop for journalists that prepared the scribes for intense coverage that saw the championship beamed to the rest of the world  live and with lots of ease.

And because of the safety of the venue, families used the occasion for picnics and day outs as parents took their children to the stadium to have a glimpse of their local and international heroes whom they have only been  seeing on television.