- Kenyan middle-distance star Emmanuel Wanyonyi was named Male Track Athlete of the Year on Sunday night in Monaco, France
- Wanyonyi’s season highlights include winning the world title in Tokyo with a time of 1:41.86, delivering not just gold but the fastest time of the season
Kenyan middle-distance star Emmanuel Wanyonyi was named Male Track Athlete of the Year on Sunday night at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco.
The gala brought together the best athletes from around the world and honored the best in track and field as well as other out-of-stadia disciplines.
What happened next was a night of applause, tears, and historic recognition as Wanyonyi joined a small group of famous athletes recognized by World Athletics and others.
A Night of Honor: Setting the Stage
The 2025 World Athletics Awards ceremony once again proved that it is one of the most important event of the year for athletes.
The event took place in Monaco on November 30 and brought together champions, record-breakers, and rising stars from all over the world. Categories ranged from track and field to marathon and road-race stars (“out-of-stadium”), reflecting the diversity of athletics disciplines.
This year’s gala was even more exciting because there was so much competition, from world championship performances to Diamond League dominance, and the nominees included some of the biggest names in the sport.
When the results were announced, it was clear that this year’s World Athletics Awards would honor both top athletes and up-and-coming stars.
A Season to Remember for Emmanuel Wanyonyi
Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s rise has been meteoric at just 21 years old, and this award proves that he is now one of the best in the sport. He dominated the 800 meters around the world in 2025 by being consistent, fast, and calm under pressure.
Wanyonyi’s season highlights include winning the world title in Tokyo with a time of 1:41.86, delivering not just gold but the fastest time of the season. He also set a world record of 1:41.44 during the Diamond League circuit, along with several other top-six global times, showing that he was consistent all year long.
With those qualifications, it seemed like he deserved to win the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award at the 2025 World Athletics Awards. Wanyonyi won the award despite tough competition from other top athletes, including American sprint star Noah Lyles.
Wanyonyi’s win added to a long history of great middle-distance runners from Kenya, including David Rudisha and Eliud Kipchoge.
Other Big Winners: A Display of Global Excellence
While Wanyonyi dominated the track award, the 2025 World Athletics Awards also recognized talent across all disciplines:
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The overall Men’s World Athlete of the Year was awarded to Mondo Duplantis (Sweden), after an exceptional season in the pole vault and field events.
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On the women’s side, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) claimed the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award, capping an extraordinary year in track.
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For men’s out-of-stadium events — marathons and road races — Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe was honoured for his top performances in 2025.
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Emerging talents were not forgotten: 17-year-old steeplechase runner Edmund Serem clinched the Rising Star award after a breakthrough season.
The full list of winners showed how many different types of athletes there are, from young people to veterans, from sprinters to long-distance runners, and from track to road and field. The World Athletics Awards give each sport a chance to show off its best work.
Why the World Athletics Awards Are Important: More Than Just Trophies
1. Acknowledgment of Consistency and Flexibility
The World Athletics Awards are different from single-event awards because they honor athletes who do well all season long, including in championships, circuit meets, Diamond League events, and world-leading performances. There are a lot of different categories, so track stars, field masters, marathoners, and young people who are getting better all get awards
Wanyonyi’s award, for example, wasn’t just for one gold medal; it was for a whole season of being the best in the 800m. In the same way, Duplantis’s award came after he broke world records and did well in a lot of competitions.
2. Global Representation and Variety
The 2025 World Athletics Awards showed off athletes from Kenya, Sweden, the USA, Spain, Australia, and many other countries. This showed that excellence in athletics is global. This variety shows how far the sport has spread and how talented people from all over the world can be.
3. Inspiration for Future Generations
For younger athletes, especially those from areas that don’t get a lot of attention, seeing people like Wanyonyi or Serem honored can be very motivating. The Rising Star award, in particular, shows juniors that hard work and good performance can be rewarded on the biggest stages.
4. Bringing the Athletics Community Together
The World Athletics Awards is also a party. It’s a night for athletes, coaches, officials, and fans to get together and think about the past season, celebrate their successes, and promise to keep high standards. It brings people together, builds trust, and makes them work together.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said during the ceremony: “The World Athletics Awards is a celebration of the very best of our sport. Tonight, we honour our greatest men’s and women’s athletes and rising stars across track, field and out of stadium.”
What to Expect From Future World Athletics Awards
Expectations for future ceremonies are high after the 2025 edition set a high bar. Here are a few predictions and hopes:
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More young athletes being recognized — especially within Rising Star categories.
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Increased visibility for out-of-stadia events and road races, as global marathon and race-walking competitions grow in popularity.
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Greater diversity among winners — more champions from Africa, Asia, Latin America as athletics grows worldwide.
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Continued balance between track, field, and road disciplines — ensuring all areas are valued equally by the global community.
And maybe most importantly, a continued focus on fair play, honesty, and unity in a world where sports often reflect the problems and successes of the world.
Conclusion
The 2025 World Athletics Awards did what they were meant to do: honor the best athletes in all sports, ages, and continents. Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s win as Male Track Athlete of the Year was the best part of a season for Kenyans that showed off speed, endurance, skill, and character.
New stars like Edmund Serem, along with legends like Mondo Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, showed the world that athletics is always changing.
