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Edward Zakayo

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Edward Zakayo
Edward Zakayo competing in the 2018 African Athletics Championship in Asaba, Nigeria
Personal information
BornEdward Pingua Zakayo
(2001-11-25) 25 November 2001 (age 24)
Narok, Kenya
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
5000 metres
Coached byErick Kimaiyo
Achievements and titles
Personal best5000 m: 13:03.19
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place2018 Gold Coast5000 m
African Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Asaba5000 m
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Tampere5000 m
World U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place2017 Nairobi3000 m

Edward Pingua Zakayo (born 25 November 2001) was a Kenyan male long-distance runner who competed in the 5000 metres. He was the bronze medallist in that event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. After being suspended due to multiple failures to be present for drug tests, he announced his retirement in 2025.[1]

Born in Narok, Zakayo said his aim in his running career was to help his mother out of poverty and pay for his education.[2] In 2017, he won the Kenyan youth trials and was selected for the 2017 IAAF World U18 Championships, where he took a silver medal over 3000 metres in front of a home crowd in Nairobi.[3][4] On 11 June 2018, he won the Kenya World U20 trials with a new personal best of 13:19 to qualify for the U20 World Championships in Finland.[5]

His win at the U20 World Champs while looking much older than his claimed age, attracted controversy as to if he'd lied about his age, and if he was really a Senior athlete, not a Junior.[6][7][8] A problem Kenyan athletics has often faced.[9] Additionally, his Senior career never ever lived up to his promise of his Junior performances[10]

International competitions

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YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2017 World U18 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 2nd 3000 m 7:49.17
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 3rd 5000 m 13:54.06
World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 1st 5000 m 13:20.16
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 1st 5000 m 13:48.58
2019 African U20 Championships Abidjan, Ivory Coast 1st 5000 m 13:13.06
African Games Rabat, Morocco 2nd 5000 m 13:30.96

Personal bests

[edit]
Outdoor
Event Time Date Place
3000 m 7:49.17 16 July 2017 Nairobi
5000 m 13:03.19 6 June 2019 Rome
10000m 27:35.07 25 June 2022 Nairobi
  • From World Athletics Profile

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/116889-adak-denies-responsibility-athlete-edward-zakayos-retirement-amid-claims-mistreatment
  2. ↑ Edward Pingua ZAKAYO. Gold Coast 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  3. ↑ Edward Zakayo Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2018-04-08.
  4. ↑ Report: boys' 3000m – IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 . IAAF (2017-07-16). Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  5. ↑ "Trials at MOI International Stadium" (PDF). athleticskenya.or.ke. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  6. ↑ https://indeksonline.net/en/misteri-i-sportistit-kenian-a-mendoni-se-duket-si-17-vjecar/
  7. ↑ https://reporteri.net/en/sport/Believe-it-or-not--this-athlete-is-17-years-old./
  8. ↑ https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/sports/article/2001332893/kenyan-athlete-zakayo-downplays-criticism-over-his-age
  9. ↑ https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/amp/athletics/article/2001501276/kenya-shouldnt-bury-head-in-the-sand-over-age-cheating-scandal
  10. ↑ https://nation.africa/kenya/sports/athletics/world-u20-top-guns-that-rose-fast-and-faded-in-a-flash-4790900
[edit]
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