The 2022 African 10,000m champion Caroline Nyaga is targeting a maiden appearance at the World Athletics Championships, with her sights set on qualifying for the 2027 edition in Beijing, China.

Despite establishing herself as one of Kenya’s most consistent long-distance runners, the 33-year-old is yet to represent the country at the global showpiece.

Nyaga, however, boasts an impressive continental record, highlighted by her 10,000m triumph at the African Championships in Saint Pierre, Mauritius, where she clocked 32:12.61 to beat Uganda’s Rachael Chebet (32:17.66) and Ethiopia’s Meseret Gebre (32:25.97).

She also claimed bronze in the 5,000m at the same championships, timing 15:05.34 behind compatriot Beatrice Chebet (15:00.82) and Ethiopia’s Fentaye Belayneh (15:01.89).

At the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, Nyaga added another medal to her collection, taking silver in the 1,500m in 4:06.76 behind Ethiopia’s Saron Berhe (4:06.05).

She hopes to translate that continental success into a breakthrough on the global stage, with the 2027 Beijing championships providing her next major target.

Her preparations have received an early boost after she won the women’s 2km race at the opening leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country circuit in Machakos. Nyaga clocked 6:36.8 to beat Nemayan Simon (6:45.4) and Faith Mwende (6:52.4), marking an encouraging return to competition after an injury lay-off. “Focus now shifts to how I can get the time for the 2027 World Championships,” Nyaga said.

The victory was particularly satisfying for the distance runner, who admitted she ventured into the race without expecting to win after spending time recovering from injury.

“I had suffered an injury, and this is my first race after recovery. I’m happy that I have taken the win because honestly, I wasn’t expecting it,” she said.

“I didn’t rush myself to come back into competition, and I think that is what has helped me in this race.”

Nyaga enjoyed a busy 2026 season, competing on the track and roads against some of the world’s leading distance runners.

She opened her campaign at the Shanghai Diamond League, finishing ninth in the 5,000m in 14:36.55 before winning back-to-back silver medals in the 1,500m and 800m at the National Police Service Track and Field Championships.

She clocked 4:16.80 in the 1,500m and 2:09.53 in the 800m. Nyaga subsequently finished 12th in the 5,000m at the Rome Diamond League in 14:38.10 before placing sixth in the same distance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in 14:54.00.

Her most recent international assignment before the Machakos cross-country meeting was the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she finished 13th in the women’s 5km in 15:17.