Kip Keino Classic: South Africa’s Zakithi Nene Sets World-Leading 400m Time!

In Summary:

Zakithi Nene ran the fastest 400m this year (43.76 seconds) in Nairobi, becoming only the second South African to go under 44 seconds.
Other South African athletes like Bayanda Walaza (100m) and Shaun Maswanganyi (200m) also earned second-place finishes in top international races.
With Mondray Barnard’s second place in Poland, these results show South Africa’s track stars are ready for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year.

South African runner Zakithi Nene grabbed attention on Saturday, June 1, 2025, by running the world’s fastest 400m time this year (43.76 seconds) at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi. This impressive feat makes him only the second South African ever to run under 44 seconds in the event. The article also highlights strong performances from other South African sprinters like Bayanda Walaza and Shaun Maswanganyi, who both secured second places in their races, and Mondray Barnard, who also finished second in a competition in Poland. These results show South Africa’s growing strength in athletics as they prepare for the World Athletics Championships in September.

Zakithi Nene Sets New World Best in 400m

Zakithi Nene ran the fastest 400m this year (43.76 seconds) in Nairobi. Photo courtesy.

South African athlete Zakithi Nene made headlines on Saturday, June 1, 2025, at the Kip Keino Classic event in Nairobi. Nene ran the men’s 400-meter race in an astonishing 43.76 seconds.

This time is the fastest in the world so far this year. With this run, Nene became only the second South African ever to complete the 400m race in under 44 seconds. The first was Wayde van Niekerk, who holds the world record in the event.

Nene won by a significant margin, finishing well ahead of Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie, who placed second with a time of 44.98 seconds. This strong performance shows that Nene is in excellent form as he prepares for upcoming major competitions.

Other South African Sprinters Also Excel

The success for South African runners was not limited to Nene’s victory. Other athletes from South Africa also delivered impressive results at the Nairobi event.

Bayanda Walaza, a promising young runner who holds the national junior record, secured second place in the men’s 100-meter race.

The start of this race was a bit uncertain due to a false start call, but no runners were disqualified. Despite this, Walaza ran a strong race, finishing in 10.03 seconds. He was just behind Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy, who won with a time of 9.98 seconds.

Shaun Maswanganyi also performed well. He earned second place in the men’s 200-meter race, setting his best time of the season at 20.47 seconds.

Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh edged past him near the finish line to win in 20.40 seconds. Maswanganyi also competed in the 100-meter race, where he placed fourth with a time of 10.24 seconds.

Bayanda Walaza secured second place in the men’s 100-meter race. Photo courtesy.

Global Success Continues for South African Athletics

The positive results for South African athletes extended beyond Nairobi. On Friday night, Mondray Barnard, another South African runner, competed at the Irena Szewinska Memorial event in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

He finished second in his race with a time of 13.49 seconds. He was narrowly beaten by Belgium’s Elie Bacari, who won with 13.43 seconds. This strong showing by Barnard further highlights South Africa’s growing success in international athletics.

James Moloi, the head of Athletics South Africa, expressed his delight with the weekend’s overall performances.

He stated that these results are a very good sign as the athletes get ready for the World Athletics Championships, which are scheduled to take place in Tokyo in September 2025.

Moloi specifically praised Nene for his world-leading 400m time and acknowledged the hard work of his coaches and team.

South African sports fans are eagerly anticipating what these talented runners will achieve in their upcoming competitions.

This past weekend truly proved that South Africa’s track and field stars are among the top athletes in the world, and they are expected to continue making big news in the upcoming races.