Steeplechase champion Jairus Birech is dead: A star dimmed too soon

Kenya and the world of athletics are in mourning. Jairus Kipchoge Birech, one of Kenya’s finest steeplechasers ever to wear the country’s colours, died on the night of 18 September 2025, aged 32. 

Early Promise, Early Glory

Born on 14 December 1992 in Uasin Gishu County, Birech burst onto the international scene as a teenager. He won silver at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships, and in the same year placed fourth at the All-Africa Games — early signs of the craft, resilience, and promise that would mark his career. 

His breakthrough in senior competition came in the years following, particularly 2014. That year, Birech:

• Won the African Championships gold in Marrakech.  
• Took silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.  
• Became the winner of the Diamond League Final, securing his place among the elite steeplechasers in the world.  
• Set a blistering personal best of 7:58.41 at the Brussels Diamond League meet — breaking the eight-minute barrier, a milestone reserved for the very best.  

The Decline of Appearances & Final Years

After his peak seasons in 2014-2015, Birech’s presence on the global track dimmed. While many of his early rivals continued to dominate, his appearances became fewer. He ventured into road races: setting a half-marathon time of 1:00:33 at Milan in 2019, and later racing in the 2020 Guadalajara Marathon. These were meaningful efforts — transitions many athletes make when the body, speed, or sponsorship pull starts changing. 

List of Kenyan marathoners who died mysteriously at a young age

The Illness & Passing

His death came after a relatively short illness. According to family sources:

• He fell ill on 16th September 2025 with severe body pains.  
• He was admitted for about two weeks to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.  
• Doctors diagnosed tuberculosis and spinal meningitis as among the ailments affecting him.  
• He died on Thursday night, on 18th September 2025, at about 8:30 PM.  

He is survived by his wife and two children. 

Legacy & Impact

Jairus Birech’s story is one of both stunning heights and human vulnerability. His achievements:

• He is one of only a small number of athletes to ever run under 8 minutes in the 3000m steeplechase.  
• He won multiple Diamond League races, especially during his best years.  
• He carried Kenya’s legacy in the steeplechase forward — the discipline that has often defined Kenyan dominance in distance running. His talent, his rhythm over barriers and water jumps, inspired both peers and younger athletes.  

Reflection: A Light Put Out

In traditional Kenyan culture — and in much of the world — elders and forebears are celebrated for leaving behind more than trophies; they leave behind stories, mentorship, tradition. Birech, though relatively young, had already begun doing that: mentoring family (his younger brother Dennis Kibet, also an athlete)  , being a figure that others looked up to. His departure is a stark reminder that glory on the track does not shield a human being from illness, from frailty, or from the unexpectedness of death.

What Must Be Done

• There is grief — for his family, for his children, for the athletics community. They need support: emotionally, spiritually, materially.
• There’s also a moment here for athletics governance and health institutions: The illnesses that struck Birech — tuberculosis, spinal meningitis — are treatable, preventable, and yet remain dangerous. For an ex-athlete who once carried the hopes of a nation, to be felled by these, suggests gaps in access to medical care, early detection, perhaps in post-career athlete welfare and support.
• For young athletes coming after him: learn from his work ethic, his discipline, his wins — but also from his vulnerabilities. Athletic success is powerful, but not invincible.

Conclusion

Jairus Birech came into the arena like a rushing wind: fast, fierce, unforgettable. He carried Kenya’s colours high, and he bore the hopes of many who saw in him the next great steeplechaser. His passing at 32 is a wound for the sport — not just because a champion has gone, but because a mentor, leader, and symbol has left us too early.

May his legacy be built upon — by young steeplechasers who challenge the barriers, jump the river of doubt, and remind us that the greatest victories are more than medals: they are the lives we touch, the standards we raise, the traditions we guard.

Rest In Peace, Jairus Kipchoge Birech.