The Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, has been the arena for thrilling athletic competition, with Kenyan athletes experiencing mixed fortunes. All eyes were set on the men’s 1500m showdown between Olympic gold medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and world champion Marco Arop of Canada, a highly anticipated face-off.

Agnes Jebet Ngetich shone as a beacon of hope for Kenya on the first day. In the women’s 3000m, the 10km world record holder secured a commendable second place, clocking in at 8:28.75. She trailed behind Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, the 2022 world indoor 3000m bronze medalist, who clinched the top spot with a time of 8:28.42. Another Ethiopian, Tsige Gebreselama, claimed third place in 8:38.15. Hellen Ekalale Lobun finished fourth in 8:42.51. Ngetich and Ekalale were scheduled to compete against similar competitors in the 5000m race on the final day.

However, the Kenyan teams in the women’s 800m and men’s 5000m faced setbacks on the competition's first day. World champion Mary Moraa, expected to be a strong contender in the women’s 800m, finished eighth. Moraa aimed for an impressive start to the season, dedicating her performance to her family and fans. The Grand Slam series offered a chance for redemption, allowing athletes to participate in two events. "Not the results I wanted in my first race (800m) at the Grand Slam Track but I live to fight another day. On to 1500m," Moraa stated, expressing her determination to bounce back.

The women’s 800m race saw American record holder Nikki Hiltz emerge victorious with a time of 1:58.23, followed by world silver medalist Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia (1:58:29) and Australian Jessica Hull (1:58.58). Kenya’s Susan Ejore finished fifth in 1:59.26, just behind Sage Hurta of the USA (1:59.26).

In the men’s 5000m, Olympic silver medalist Ronald Kwemoi’s aspirations for a podium finish were dashed as he clocked in at 14:40.46. American athletes dominated the event, with Grant Fisher, Cooper Teare, and Dylan Jacob sweeping the top three positions. Fisher, fresh off smashing indoor records in the 5000m and 3000m in February, won the race in 14:39.14, followed by Teare (14:39.31) and Jacob (14:39.56). Kwemoi was set to face the American stars again in the 3000m race.