The year 2024 will be etched in the annals of athletics history as a season of thrilling breakthroughs and seismic shifts on the global stage.
From sprinters to distance runners, the season was littered with fresh talents, who shook up the pecking order.
Among them was St. Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred, who powered her way to Olympic 100m title at the Paris Olympics and the American Cole Hocker, who stunned the world with a tactical masterpiece to claim Olympic 1500m gold.
Kenya, too, had their breakout stars. Among them is Lilian Odira, the national 800m champion, whose meteoric rise from a domestic contender to an Olympic semi-finalist underscored her immense potential in the two-lap race.
After a year that saw her accomplish numerous accolades, the 25-year-old — in an exclusive interview — revealed she is hungry for more success this season.
“2024 was a really good year for me. I was able to accomplish so much and gain numerous accolades. I am now hungry for more success in 2025,” Odira said.
Her campaign started on January 6 at the Athletics Kenya weekend meeting at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, where she signalled her intent with a second-place finish, clocking 2:09.70.
She followed that up with another runner-up finish at the third AK track and field meeting at Nyayo Stadium in 2:04.73.
Her consistent performances earned her a ticket to the 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana, after she finished second at the national trials with 2:02.51.
The trip to Ghana was her first time racing outside Kenya.
However, the transition was not without its hurdles.
“It was nerve-wracking. I had no international experience and climate change (change of weather) was a challenge. I was stepping onto the track with seasoned runners, but I told myself I had to give it my best,” she recalled.
Despite her inexperience, Odira delivered, finishing fourth in 2:00.81 behind Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma ( 1:57.73 ), Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi ( 1:58.59 ) and Kenya’s Vivian Chebet ( 2:00.27 ).
While she narrowly missed the podium, the experience proved invaluable.
“I was up against the best, Duguma, the world indoor champion, Nakaayi, a former world champion and Chebet, who had years of experience. I learned so much and, most importantly, improved my time.”
Two months later, Odira stamped her authority by clinching the national 800m title at the Kenyan championships on May 22 at Ulinzi Complex, clocking 2:02.21.
“Winning the national title was special. The African Games had fueled my hunger and I was looking forward to even more accolades,” she stated.
Her triumph secured her a place at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon, where she secured her first-ever continental medal, a silver medal, after timing 2:00.36, narrowly losing to compatriot Sarah Moraa ( 2:00.27 ).
“Cameroon was a very good experience. I was happy to win silver in my second continental appearance. I came back to the country more motivated,” she said.
Despite her rapid rise, Odira still had one major hurdle—qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
The automatic entry standard stood at 1:59.30, meaning she had to break the two-minute barrier at the Kenyan Olympic trials on June 14 at Nyayo Stadium.
Before the material day, Odira recalls how her coach, Jacinta Muraguri, and her manager, Malcom Anderson, motivated her to chase the Olympic mark.
“Before the trials, my coach told me I was capable of making it and I did not want to let her down. It was also my first race under my new manager and he told me not to put so much pressure on myself,” she recalled.
Even so, she was seen as an underdog heading into the trials, which had more established names.
“The field was tough and I think I was the underdog because no one was counting on me,” she noted.
However, Odira used that to her advantage, running a sensational 1:59.27 to punch her ticket to Paris.
“I was so happy. It was an emotional moment as well as one of the biggest achievements in my life,” she said.
In Paris, Odira recalled having jitters due to the intimidating qualifying rounds (heats).
“When I first saw the heats classifications, I was really scared but I believed in myself. I pushed myself. I did not want to go to the repechage round which would have been even more exhausting,” said Odira.
She clocked 1:58.83 for third place in Heat 6 behind Jamaica’s Natoya Toppin ( 1:58.66 ) and Australia’s Claudia Hollingsworth ( 1:58.77 ), securing her spot in the semis.
Then came her biggest challenge yet, lining up alongside Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in semi-final 3.
“I completely froze after learning I would be up against Keely. She had a PB of 1:54 and held the world lead at the time, she was at the top of her game. But I knew my coach, manager and the whole nation was behind me so I gave it my best. I made a slight mistake in the race but I am proud I was able to finish with a new personal best,” she said.
Odira clocked 1:58.53 in her semi-final which Hodgkinson breezed through in 1:56.86 to go on and claim the Olympic title in 1:56.72.
After returning from Paris, Odira took just a week’s break before resuming training as she was expected to race in Zagreb.
Before leaving for Zagreb, Odira was involved in a car accident while heading home from training in Kasarani.
“I was involved in a car accident as I was coming from training in Kasarani. I sustained minor injuries but since I had already been confirmed for the race, I decided to go ahead with it,” she said.
She finished sixth, dipping below the two-minute barrier yet again — 1:58.90. Born on April 18, 1999, in Ndonyo, Migori county, to Cyprian and Millicent Odira, Odira recalled how she would run for fun while at Bondo Primary School.
“As a kid. I was always playful and at that time, I used to run a lot. I did not concentrate on the event I was running, I was just doing it because it was fun,” she observed.
She finished her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2012 and joined Segero High School the following year.
It’s here that her passion for the track exploded. She later transferred to Nyota Secondary School in Kisii, where, under the games teacher, Emily Onyuka, she represented her school at the regional games.
“After I joined Nyota, I ran the 400m. Coach Emily guided me and showed me the ropes of running because the school specialised in talent development,” she said.
Odira switched schools yet again, joining Keberesi Secondary School in Kisii, where under the guidance of Charles Onwomba, she represented the school and the country at the 2016 East African Games in Eldoret, claiming bronze in the 800m.
That same year, she was courted by the Kenya Prisons Service, who recruited her a year later after sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
In 2019, she joined Rongai Athletics Club, where she continued to sharpen her talons in the middle distance under coach Bernard Ouma.
However, her ambitions were thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we had to take a break from training. I decided to take maternity leave,” she revealed.
After resuming training in 2021, she met Muraguri.
“I sustained a knee injury since I had gained some weight. It took a while to heal so I decided to go on another maternity leave,” she said.
However, after returning in 2023, her coach threw down the gauntlet urging her to focus fully on training as the 2024 season was approaching.
“Coach told me to be more focused since the 2024 season was coming and it was a major season for athletes because of the Olympics. I spent 2023 solely training for the 2024 season,” she revealed.
Despite her rapid rise, Odira admits that the journey has been anything but smooth.
Balancing elite athletics with her duties in the Kenya Prisons Service has often stretched her to the limit.
The delicate act of juggling family, work and intense training sessions tested her resilience.
“It’s a huge challenge because I can’t fully focus on one and neglect the other,” she admitted.
“There are times when work commitments leave me drained, yet I still have to push through training. And as a mother, finding time for my children while preparing for high-level competitions is never easy.”
“After my second maternity, I had no choice but to bring my kids to training because I was focused on being sharp for 2024. My coach would keep an eye on them while timing me as I completed my sessions,” she recalled with a smile.
As an emerging athlete, Odira acknowledges the pressure to prove herself against seasoned competitors.
“Upcoming athletes have to put in twice the effort to break through. There’s no room for complacency. Every session, every race, every second on the clock, matter,” she said.
Yet, through it all, she finds motivation in her children, who have become her biggest source of inspiration.
“They were watching me while I competed in Paris and that was a huge morale booster. Knowing they are looking up to me, pushes me to give my best every single day.”
Odira’s other source of motivation is her in-law, Hellen Obiri, a two-time Olympic 5000m silver medallist.
“Obiri has been a great mentor. She shares insights on training, racing strategies and how to handle the pressures of competition. I’m learning a lot from her,” Odira said.
She has already started her 2025 campaign with cross country races to build endurance.
She finished third at the AK cross country series Bomet leg ( 6:18.50 ), second in Ol Kalou ( 9:10.6 ) and a ‘Did Not Finish’ at the opening leg in Machakos.
Odira switched from the 2km to the gruelling 10 km during the Prisons Cross Country Championships and was able to secure a bronze medal in 33:44.9.
Her next major test will be the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, from March 21- 23, followed by select Diamond League meetings as she builds up for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.
With a PB of 1:58.53, she has already met the 1:59 entry mark for the Tokyo Championships but she hopes to lower her mark to enhance her chances.
