World Athletics Awards: Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi named Male Track Athlete of the Year ahead of Noah Lyles

After a remarkable 2025 season that saw him become the world champion in a record-breaking time, Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been named the 2025 Male Track Athlete of the Year ahead of Noah Lyles at the World Athletics Awards.

The annual awards held in Monaco on Sunday evening saw the Kenyan middle-distance runner announced as the winner, ahead of American sprint superstar Lyles.

Wanyonyi had a brilliant year that saw him win his first world title in Tokyo, clocking a Championship Record of 1:41.44 to set the world-leading time, and also becoming the Diamond League champion.

By being crowned the 2025 Male Track Athlete of the Year, this ensured the title stayed in Africa, after Letsile Tebogo's historic season at the Paris Olympic Games last year saw him earn the crown for Botswana.

In addition, Wanyonyi became the third Kenyan male athlete to have won the award since its inception in 1988, following the footsteps of the legendary David Rudisha and Eliud Kipchoge.