- World Athletics released the long-list for the 2025 Track Athlete of the Year awards on Monday, 13 October, featuring five male and five female nominees.
- Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi have earned nominations following their standout performances during the season.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi have been nominated for the World Athletics’ Track Athlete of the Year 2025 awards.
World Athletics unveiled the long-list for the awards on Monday (13 October), naming five female and five male athletes ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Awards.
The top two men and top two women in each of three categories: Track Athlete, Field Athlete, and Out-of-Stadium Athlete – will advance to the final overall vote for the World Athlete of the Year honors.
Having previously won the honor in 2023, Faith Kipyegon has once again earned a spot on this prestigious list following a stellar season.
She secured her fourth record world title in the 1500m in Tokyo and simultaneously clinched the silver medal in the 5000m at the same event.
ALSO READ: Beatrice Chebet outsprints Faith Kipyegon to win 5000m gold in Tokyo World Championships
Beatrice Chebet was also exceptional this season, achieving a double gold medal victory at the recently concluded Tokyo Championship. She triumphed in both the 5000m and 10,000m and also set a new record in the 5000m.
The duo will be contending with USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m in Tokyo.
Also nominated are Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who set the second-fastest time in the 400m, and Femke Bol, who claimed another 400m hurdles world title.
In the men’s category, Kenya’s World and Diamond League champion over the 800m, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, continued his dominance in an event where David Rudisha’s longstanding world record from 2012 is now looking within reach.
ALSO READ: Emmanuel Wanyonyi smashes record to win 800m gold in Tokyo World Championships
Wanyonyi clocked four of the six best times over 800m this year, including the leading mark of 1:41.44. This is just three-tenths of a second off his personal best and only half a second behind Rudisha’s historic record.
He will go head-to-head with several U.S. athletes, including:
- Noah Lyles: World 200m and 4x100m champion and 100m bronze medallist, who was unbeaten in the 200m, including winning the Diamond League title.
- Rai Benjamin: World 400m hurdles champion, who also produced two of the top three 400m hurdles performances of the year.
- Cordell Tinch: World and Diamond League 110m hurdles champion, responsible for four of the top six performances in his event this year.
Jimmy Gressier of France, the World 10,000m champion, 5000m bronze medallist, and Diamond League 3000m champion, is also in the mix.
Nominees for 2025 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year
- Rai Benjamin, USA
- Jimmy Gressier, France
- Noah Lyles, USA
- Cordell Tinch, USA
- Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Kenya
Nominees for 2025 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
- Femke Bol, Netherlands
- Beatrice Chebet, Kenya
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, USA
- Faith Kipyegon, Kenya
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA
How to vote for Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi – Track Athlete of the Year 2025
Fans can vote for their Women’s and Men’s Track Athlete of the Year on World Athletics’ social media pages.
Each ‘like’ on the official nomination post on Facebook or Instagram, and each repost on X (formerly Twitter), will count as one vote.
Social media fan voting will account for 25% of the final result. The World Athletics Council (50%) and the World Athletics Family (25%) will also cast their votes over the next week, from 13 to 19 October.
The top two in each category from this round will become finalists. A final fan vote will then run from 3 November on the World Athletics+ platform to decide the overall Men’s and Women’s World Athlete of the Year award winners from the six total finalists.
The voting schedule for other categories is as follows:
- Field Athlete: 20 to 26 October
- Out-of-Stadium Athlete: 27 October to 2 November
Other awards to be presented at the 2025 World Athletics Awards include the Male and Female Rising Star awards, Coaching Achievement Award, Woman of the Year, Photograph of the Year, World Athletics Member Federation Award, and the World Athletics President’s Award.