Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has brought her 2026 season to an early end after a hamstring injury ruled her out of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Kipyegon, who has been managing the injury since the end of May, decided to prioritize recovery rather than return to competition before she was fully fit.
Her withdrawal also kept her out of the remaining Diamond League meetings of the season.Her final race of the season came on 10 July at the Monaco Diamond League, where she finished fourth in the women’s 3,000 metres in 8:24.21.
The Kenyan had earlier competed in the women’s mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, finishing third as she continued to manage the hamstring problem.
Kipyegon explained that the injury had taken longer to recover from than she initially expected and that she did not want to rush her return.
Her absence was subsequently felt at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, held in Budapest from 11 to 13 September, where she had been expected to feature among the world’s leading middle-distance athletes.
Despite the setback, Kipyegon’s 2026 season included another notable performance.
She opened her campaign with victory in the 5,000 metres at the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League in May, clocking 14:24.14.
The early conclusion to her season marks a rare interruption to a career that has seen Kipyegon establish herself as one of Kenya’s leading middle-distance runners.
She is a three-time Olympic 1,500m champion and holds the women’s world records for both the 1,500m and mile.
With her 2026 campaign now over, Kipyegon’s focus shifts to rehabilitation and preparation for her return to competition.
I’ll be back,” Kipyegon said in her statement announcing her withdrawal.
