Faith Kipyegon gives worrying injury update as season winds down

Faith Kipyegon has ruled out an immediate return to competition after revealing that a hamstring injury sustained in late May still requires additional recovery time. The three-time Olympic champion has not raced since finishing fourth in the 3,000m at the Monaco Diamond League on July 10.

Kipyegon said the injury has made it impossible to compete at full intensity and that her priority is now healing before attempting a return. The 32-year-old added that she intends to recover properly and rebuild her strength rather than rush back.

Her latest competitive appearances came within six days of each other. She finished third in the mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene before placing fourth over 3,000m in Monaco, performances that came as she managed the hamstring problem.

The results marked a rare downturn in Kipyegon’s record. They were her first successive defeats since 2016, when she placed second in Paris and seventh in Zurich in 1,500m races held in August and September.

Kipyegon has not given a date for her return, leaving her participation in the remaining Diamond League meetings uncertain. She could also miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, scheduled for September 11 to 13, where each discipline winner is set to receive $150,000, equivalent to Ksh19.4 million.

Her absence could extend beyond that event. Kipyegon is also among the prominent athletes associated with ATHLOS, the women-only track competition whose 2026 meetings are planned for London on September 18 and New York on October 2. Winners at the event receive $60,000, or Ksh7.7 million, but her availability has not been established.