Lilian Odira Wins Gold for Kenya in Women’s 800M Final

Lilian Odira has seized her moment on the world stage, capturing the women’s 800-meter gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

In a masterful display of power in the last 100 meters, Odira delivered a stunning performance, crossing the finish line in a new championship record of 1:54.62.

The race was fiercely contested, with Odira surging ahead in the final stretch to beat top favorite Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain, who had earlier taken the lead.

Lilian Odira Beats Mary Moraa

The race was expected to be a showdown between Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the reigning Commonwealth and Diamond League champion, and Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic silver medalist.

Moraa, known for her explosive finishing kick, led confidently through the first lap but could not keep up in the final stretch, finishing 7th in 1:57.10.

While Mary Moraa has long been the face of the 800m, Odira’s emergence signals a new era of competition and excellence.

Her win also brings Kenya’s gold tally to seven at the championships, reinforcing the Kenya’s dominance in track events.

“I knew I had to be patient and trust my kick. This gold is for Kenya, for every young girl who dreams of running on the world stage.”

Kenya’s Gold Medalists in Tokyo 2025 Championships

Born on April 18, 1999, in Migori County, Kenya, Odira discovered her running potential during her school years, where she competed in inter-school and county athletics meets.

She began running while in school, competing in inter-school and county championships in the 400m and 800m events.

After completing secondary education, she joined the Kenya Prisons Service, which provided structured training, financial support, and regular competition in national athletics events.

Under coach Jacinta Murigura, her training program combines high-altitude endurance work in Iten and Ngong Hills with speed sessions and tactical drills.

Her rise as an athlete was interrupted in 2022 when she paused her career to give birth, before she returned in 2024 to win the Kenyan national title in the 800m.

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Later that year, she won silver at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, earning selection for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she reached the semi-finals in her debut Games.

In 2025, Odira ran 1:58.31 to win the Absa Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, a personal best at the time.

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