Irungu turns coastal success into winning habit

Megean Irungu wins 2026 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup in Kilifi County. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Meagan Irungu's growing mastery of Kilifi continued on Sunday when the Kenyan claimed the Africa Triathlon Development Cup title to add another major victory to her record at the coastal venue.

Irungu clocked 1:13:22 to win the women's race, finishing ahead of Algeria's Saleha Nerddjes in 1:19:13 and Namibia's Jana Mutschler in 1:20:07.

The victory completed a remarkable transformation for Irungu in Kilifi. She finished fifth at the same event last year before returning to win the Africa Triathlon Development Regional Cup in 1:12:16.

She then added the Africa Triathlon Duathlon Cup in October, clocking 1:13:56.

Her latest victory makes it three major titles in Kilifi and continues a rise that has also seen her make an impact internationally.

Irungu finished second in the Under-23 category at the 2025 Africa Triathlon Championships in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2:38:46.

Sunday's race tested her early, with a difficult swim forcing her to chase the leaders before turning the contest around on the bike.

"The race was okay. The swim was tough. I didn't expect to emerge top. I passed the first two athletes on the bike," said Irungu.

Kenya Triathlon president Jocelyn Leah Nyambura said the growing number of competitors and Irungu's performance showed the potential of the sport despite Kenya's infrastructure challenges.

"The competition was good. Kenya has a model who shows growth in the country. Given that we don't have those facilities, it shows we have the potential to flourish. The turnout was good, and we are also developing the young players," said Nyambura.

The event attracted about 50 athletes from across Africa, giving developing competitors valuable exposure to international competition.

Tunisia's Hamdi Mohammed Aziz won the men's race in 59:14, beating Mauritius' Lentente Laurent, who clocked 59:30, while Togo's Adjavon was third in 59:42.

Kenya's Mohamed Abdulaziz finished seventh.

Hamdi said he had prepared specifically for the conditions and arrived in Kilifi determined to win.

"It was good weather for a competition. I come from a different zone, so I prepared efficiently for my race. I was prepared to come and win this race," said Hamdi.