Lilian Odira is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 800 metres race.
She first gained national recognition in 2024 when she became Kenya’s national 800 metres champion and went on to claim a silver medal at the African Championships held in Douala, Cameroon. The same year, Odira qualified for the Paris Olympics, cementing her place among Kenya’s elite middle-distance runners.
Odira’s defining moment came in 2025 at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she stunned the world by winning gold in the women’s 800 metres. She clocked a championship record time of 1:54.62, breaking a 42-year-old record and earning Kenya one of its most remarkable victories in athletics history.
Additionally, her win placed her among the world’s fastest women in the event and earned widespread praise both at home and abroad.
In the Tokyo final, Odira outpaced Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson and other top contenders, showing extraordinary composure and finishing power.
Following her historic win, the Kenya Prisons Service, where Odira is employed, promoted her from constable to sergeant in recognition of her achievement.
Born on April 18, 1999, in Migori County, Odira has risen to become one of Kenya’s most celebrated athletes, defying odds to dominate a field historically ruled by runners from the Rift Valley region