Kenyan sprint king Ferdinand Omanyala lit up Atlanta with raw speed and unmatched dominance as he stormed to a historic win in the men’s 150m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games on Saturday, rewriting both the African and Kenyan records in the process.
The African 100m record holder was untouchable from the moment the gun went off, powering down the street track to clock an astonishing 14.70 seconds — a new continental best. His closest rivals, Bahamian Terrence Jones (14.93) and American Matthew Boling (15.15), were left chasing shadows.
“We’ve done a few 100m races so far, and this 150m is part of the build-up to the longer season ahead,” Omanyala said after the race. “My coach just told me to explode out of the blocks — and I did. I kept pushing, and the momentum carried me to the finish.”
This latest triumph adds another jewel to Omanyala’s growing crown. Already the African 100m record holder with 9.77 seconds, the 29-year-old now owns two continental records — cementing his status as one of the greatest sprinters Africa has ever produced.
But the victory in Atlanta was more than personal glory. It follows another milestone just a week prior when Omanyala led Kenya’s 4x100m relay squad — featuring Boniface Mweresa, Steve Onyango, and Meshack Baabu — to World Championship qualification for the first time since 1983.
“I was over the moon when we qualified,” Omanyala said, beaming. “That moment meant everything because it’s my dream to inspire a new generation of Kenyan sprinters. We want to build a sprinting powerhouse in a country known mostly for distance running.”
