- Double Olympic and world champion Beatrice Chebet announces maternity leave in 2026, a decision that will keep her off the track for the entire season.
- Her announcement follows a remarkable 2025 campaign, during which she emerged as one of the standout performers at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
- Chebet’s achievements over the past two years are indisputable, highlighted by record-setting and record-breaking performances.
World record holder Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet is set to be absent from competition in the 2026 season after announcing that she will be taking maternity leave to start a family of her own.
Speaking to Multimedia Sports Journalist Katami Michelle, the double Olympic champion explained that her decision to pause was deliberately timed to begin a new chapter after two years on the road, a period in which she achieved extraordinary success and raised the Kenyan flag high.
“This was my plan-to start a family. Balancing work & family is important to me. I will be back,” she told Katami.
ALSO READ: Beatrice Chebet biography, career, statistics, personal life and latest news
Beatrice Chebet announces maternity leave
Chebet’s announcement follows an incredible 2025 season, during which she stood out among the best at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
There, she delivered a sensational double, winning gold in both the 10,000m (30:37.61) and the 5,000m (14:54.36).
Her dominance continued throughout the Diamond League circuit. She won the 5,000m in Xiamen on April 26 with ease, clocking 14:27.12.
In Rabat, she posted an impressive 8:11.56 in the 3,000m, and at the Rome Diamond League, she secured victory in the 5,000m with a time of 14:03.69.
Capping off her season, the double Olympic champion made history at the Prefontaine Classic by becoming the first woman to break 14 minutes in the 5,000m, setting a world record of 13:58.06.
The 2025 campaign continued the remarkable trajectory the 25-year-old established in 2024, when she made history as the first Kenyan woman to win double Olympic gold – taking the 5,000m in 14:28.56 and the 10,000m in 30:43.25.
Chebet had been expected to defend her title at the World Cross Country Championships for a third consecutive time in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 11.
Although she did not compete in the Kenyan national championships, she only confirmed her withdrawal a few days ago via her social media channels.
She has previously triumphed at the Bathurst and Belgrade World Cross Country Championships in 2023 and 2024, and also claimed the U20 title in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2019. Her three world records were set in 2024 and 2025.
Chebet’s accomplishments over the past two years are undisputed, and she will be missed on the circuit in 2026, with a potential return anticipated in 2027.
“I am proud of what I have achieved over the past 2 years,” she reaffirmed.
