Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya will field a formidable 3,000m team at the Hauts-de-France Indoor Meeting today, with a trio of world-class athletes aiming to stamp their authority as the season gathers pace.
The charge will be led by Jacob Krop, the 2022 World 5,000m silver medallist, alongside Frankline Kibet, the World Cross Country Under-20 champion, and Edwin Kurgat, 2023 Boston 10km runner-up.
The three combine experience, youth and endurance, providing Kenya with a strong shot at the podium. Krop enters the race off a solid start to 2026.
On February 8, he ran 7:38.64 over 3,000m at the Karlsruhe Meeting in Germany, part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour, finishing second behind Dutchman Stefan Nillessen (7:38.48) and ahead of Uruguay’s Valentin Soca (7:38.90).
Hauts-de-France marks Krop’s third appearance over the distance at the meet; he finished sixth in 2022 and improved to third in 2023 behind Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma and Spain’s Mohamed Katir.
Kibet has made an emphatic start to his season, winning gold at the World Cross Country Championships in 23:18, edging compatriot Emmanuel Kiprono (23:20) with Andrew Alamisi taking bronze (23:28). His form highlights his ability to transfer cross-country strength onto the indoor track.
Kurgat, however, has had a challenging start to the indoor campaign, finishing 10th over two miles at the Millrose Games on February 1 in 8:11.89. Despite that, the trio brings depth, speed, and tactical maturity that could see Kenya feature prominently in the final.
The Kenyans will face stiff competition, including Getnet Wale, 2019 African 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist, Addisu Yihune, 2022 World U-20 5,000m champion, and France’s Azeddine Habz, 2025 European Indoor 1,500m silver medallist.
Wale has posted mixed results this season, finishing third in Madrid (7:39.98) before eighth in Karlsruhe (7:41.13), while Habz began the year on the roads in Valencia (27:43 for 10km) before sharpening on the track with a 1,500m win in Karlsruhe in 3:33.36.
With a mix of speed, endurance, and tactical nous, the Kenyan trio will be looking to assert themselves against a strong international field, building momentum for the rest of the indoor season while reinforcing Kenya’s reputation as a middle- and long-distance powerhouse.
