- Edmund Serem led Kenya to a historic 1-2-3 steeplechase sweep, securing the nation’s first gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
- Serem won in 8:18.23, ahead of Simon Koech (8:18.59) and Leonard Bett (8:21.63).
- The clean sweep lifted Kenya’s medal tally to five: one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes.
Edmud Serem delivered Kenya’s first gold medal as the country swept the podium with a 1-2-3 finish in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday, July 27.
The youngster clocked 8:18.23 to claim victory ahead of fellow Kenyans Simon Koech (8:18.59) and Leonard Bett (8:21.63), who finished second and third respectively.
Coming right after the heartbreak of seeing Diana Wanza narrowly miss out on the 10,000m gold, the pressure was firmly on Kenya’s men’s 3,000m steeplechase trio.
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Serem, alongside Koech and Bett, did not just carry the weight of a nation’s expectations. They shattered them.
From the sound of the starter’s gun, the three Kenyans seized control of the race, working together to keep global contenders like world champion George Beamish at bay.
Koech served as the early pace-setter, maintaining a relentless tempo while Serem and Bett patiently tracked him from close behind.
With three laps remaining, the trio shifted gears, breaking away from the rest of the field and turning the closing stages into an exclusive, high-stakes battle between teammates.
When the bell rang for the final lap, Koech fought bravely to cling to the lead, but Serem showed exactly why he is regarded as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
Unleashing a devastating trademark kick down the back straight, the teenager surged past his teammate, glided over the final water jump, and crossed the finish line to secure Kenya’s first gold medal of the Games.
“Today I’m happy to have won my first title on my debut at the Commonwealth Games. I was not sure of the win because the field was very strong, including Koech.
I saw myself finishing on the podium, but I wasn’t sure I was going to win until the final lap when I realized I still had the energy, so I pushed for the victory,” said Serem, the World Championships bronze medalist, after the race.
The result marked the seventh time Kenya has swept the podium in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games, having previously achieved the feat in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018.
It also secured Kenya’s 11th clean sweep in the steeplechase at a major global outdoor championship.
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The stunning steeplechase lockout instantly boosted Kenya’s campaign in Scotland, taking the nation’s early medal tally to five, one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes.
The medal rush had begun on Sunday when 20-year-old weightlifter Joshua Amunga ended a 32-year drought by lifting his way to a historic bronze medal in the men’s 60kg category.
Monday night then delivered a rapid-fire double delight. Just moments before Serem’s golden triumph, Wanza produced a gutsy performance in the grueling women’s 10,000m final to claim a brilliant silver medal, setting the perfect stage for Kenya’s historic 1-2-3 steeplechase sweep.