Guinness World Records is one of the individual triumphs that often unite a country, and Kenya is lucky to have 10 citizens on the illustrious records.
Dating back to the 1950s, Guinness World Records is an institution that holds verified world records, encompassing both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world.
The first book was published in London in 1955, eight years before Kenya gained her independence. And since then, several notable Kenyans have found their way to global stardom through sports and other fields.
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Truphena Muthoni
Environmental activist Truphena Muthoni is the latest entrant after Guinness World Records officially certified her for hugging a tree continuously for 48 hours as part of an environmental conservation and climate awareness campaign.
The feat was attempted earlier this year, and she is once again in the global spotlight after breaking her own tree-hugging record with a 72-hour attempt, pending official confirmation.
In a statement on December 1, 2025, the organisation recognised her achievements and assured that it is currently scrutinising evidence to make it official.
Muthoni is among the individuals who have earned a place in the World Book of Records through their outstanding achievements in various sectors, including sports, education, and agriculture, among others.
2. Eliud Kipchoge
Widely considered the greatest marathon runner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge, in 2019, became the first athlete to run a marathon under two hours in the unofficial INEOS 1:59 Challenge, an achievement recognised by Guinness World Records with the title 'First marathon distance run under two hours'.
The record is, however, not recognised by World Athletics since it involved special arrangements and Kipchoge was not facing any competition.
Widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, Kipchoge was 34 years old when he achieved the sub-two-hour feat.
He has won multiple Olympic gold medals and previously held the official marathon world record, which he set at 37 years old in 2022.
He hung up his boots at the age of 41 after completing the New York Marathon in November to complete the Abbott Seven Marathons.
3. David Rudisha
Middle-distance legend David Rudisha also holds the record of running the men's 800-metre world record of 1:40.91 during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
This performance is considered one of the greatest Olympic track moments.
Rudisha is an Olympic double gold medallist born in Kilgoris. He was 23 years old when he set his standing world record in London.
4. Faith Kipyegon
Faith Kipyegon is a legendary middle- and long-distance runner, widely considered the greatest female 1500m runner of all time. She is a multiple-time Olympic and World Champion and currently holds two official World Athletics records.
Kipyegon has achieved an unprecedented three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1500 meters (2016, 2020, 2024) and four World Championship gold medals in the same event. She is one of only eleven athletes to win world titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels.
In June 2025, Kipyegon participated in a special exhibition event organised by her sponsor, Nike, titled "Breaking4", with the ambitious goal of becoming the first woman in history to run a mile in under four minutes.
The time trial was held on June 26, 2025, in Paris, featuring male and female pacers, advanced shoe technology, and aerodynamic gear designed to minimise wind resistance.
Kipyegon did not break the four-minute barrier but still ran a phenomenal time of 4:06.42 (an unofficial personal best faster than her official world record of 4:07.64). The result was not ratified as an official world record by World Athletics due to the exhibition nature of the event and pacing setup.
She is in the Guinness World Records as the first and only woman to run the 1500 meters in under 3 minutes and 49 seconds after setting a new world record of 3:48.68 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on July 5, 2025.
5. Tegla Lorupe
Retired athlete Tegla Lorupe currently holds three world records, which include the fastest female times over 20,000m, 25,000m, and 30,000m, and previously held the marathon world record as the first African woman to do so.
A renowned long-distance runner, humanitarian, and peace advocate.
She made history in 1994 as the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon and was in her late teens/early twenties when setting many of her records.
Other Kenyan athletes who have broken world records include Daniel Komen, who set the 3,000-metre world record in 1996; Paul Kosgei, who broke the 25-kilometre world record in 2004; Hillary Kimaiyo, who set the 10-kilometre road race world record in 2009, and the late Samuel Wanjiru, who broke the half-marathon world record in 2007.
6. Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge
Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge holds a Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to begin primary school.
Born around 1920, Maruge was a veteran of the Mau Mau Uprising against British colonial rule in the 1950s. He was a widower and a great-grandfather with 30 grandchildren, two of whom were students at the same school he attended. He lived his early life without a formal education.
He enrolled in Standard One at Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Eldoret on January 12, 2004, at the age of 84. Despite initial scepticism from some community members, he was an exemplary student, was elected class head boy in 2005, and reportedly passed his exams with flying colours.
His story inspired people worldwide and led him to travel to New York City in September 2005 to address the United Nations 2005 World Summit on the importance of free primary education for all.
His life was later the subject of a critically acclaimed British-produced film released in 2011, titled The First Grader. He passed away on 15 August 2009, aged 90.
7. Joseph Love
Joseph Love once held the record for the most milk hand-milked in 24 hours.
In 1992, he milked 531 litres of milk from 30 cows in just 24 hours.
8. Alikhan Kazia
Alikhan Kazia holds multiple Guinness World Records related to table tennis trick shots.
The Kenyan athlete, primarily known as a skilled table tennis player and a "trick shotter". He developed his skills after being inspired by viral trick shot videos during his first year of university.
Kazia currently holds three Guinness World Records titles, all achieved in Nairobi:
- Most ping pong balls bounced into a cup in one minute: He set the record with 17 balls, breaking the previous record of 12. He was 22 years old when this record was ratified in May 2021.
- Fastest time bouncing ping pong balls into five cups (individual): A test of speed and accuracy involving setting up and successfully bouncing a ball into five separate cups in sequence.
- Most table tennis serves into a cup in one minute: He achieved 13 successful serves into a cup in one minute, a record set on June 22, 2021. He was 22 years old at the time.
9. Maliha Mohammed
Maliha Mohammed is a self-taught chef from Mombasa who specialises in a fusion of Swahili, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
She has made several attempts at the Guinness World Records, and in August 2019, she successfully broke the world record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual by cooking for 75 hours and 3 minutes non-stop.
This surpassed the previous record of 68 hours and 30 minutes held by American chef Rickey Lumpkin II. She was 36 years old at the time of this achievement.
She made further attempts in 2023 to reclaim the ever-shifting "longest cooking marathon (individual)" title, which was eventually claimed by Alan Fisher.
Maliha currently holds the official Guinness World Record title for the Longest home kitchen cooking marathon (individual), which she achieved by cooking for 90 hours and 15 minutes in August 2023.
In a later attempt to surpass Alan Fisher's main individual record, she cooked for over 150 hours in November 2023 but was disqualified due to an error in managing her rest breaks, highlighting the strict GWR rules.
