Migori mother Lilian Odera breaks record, wins 800 meters in Tokyo World Athletics Championships

Kenyan mother Lilian Odira shocked the favorites to win the women's 800 meters at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships on Sunday, September 21, 2025. Odira, who hails from Migori County, was just “grateful” as she produced a storming finish to win an astonishing 800 meters world gold on Sept 21, smashing her personal best by almost two seconds and erasing the 42-year-old championship record. The 26-year-old mother of two looked out of it with 30 meters to go but surged past two Britons leading the race to win in 1min 54.62sec, beating the mark set by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova at the first World Championships in 1983. Odira set a championship record of 1 minute 54.62 seconds to take gold ahead of Georgia Hunter Bell. “This is my first World Championships, and I am really grateful to be leaving it as the world champion,” Odira said. “It has been a long time coming. The 800m is always very tactical. The first lap today was very fast. I knew I had to push on the second one. It was so quick. “I was paying attention to what was happening with other runners. I was just following the pace of the race. I managed to have the most powerful finish, and I got lucky to be going home with a gold medal.” British compatriot Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic champion who has battled fitness issues, had tried to take the initiative early in the race but tired just before the line to end up with bronze. Mary Moraa, the defending champion, had to watch as fellow Kenyan Odira stormed through late on for her first major title just a year after returning from maternity leave. Moraa finished seventh. Her cousin Sarah Moraa, the African champion, was fourth.