OSAKA — Few things in life are guaranteed, but there seems to be one automatic occurrence in athletics: a Kenyan-born athlete will win a major international steeplechase race.

A native of the East African nation has won every 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Athletics Championships since 1991. This reign of dominance started with three straight titles for Moses Kiptanui, the first of which he won in Tokyo.

(The world championships were not staged in 1989, so Italy's Francesco Panetta, in 1987, won it before the streak began. Remember that if you're looking to impress your Trivial Pursuit partners.)

That marks nine straight world titles for Kenya natives, and a 10th consecutive gold is a strong possibility on Tuesday night at Nagai Stadium in the final.

Bahrain's Tareq Mubarak Taher, formerly known as Dennis Kipkurui Keter of Kenya, is seeded No. 1 for the final after he completed the first of three qualifying heats in 8 minutes, 19.99 seconds.

Morocco's Abdelkader Hachlaf was second in 8:20.03 and Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi was third in 8:20.08.

Two other Kenyans — Brimin Kiprop Kipruto (sixth place) and Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong (16) also advanced to the finals.

In the second heat, Yoshitaka Iwamizu, Japan's lone participant, was the leader at the 2,000-meter mark with a time of 5:46.71, but he faded to seventh in his heat and finished in 8:36.73.

"When the Japanese runner started to break away from us, we just let him go because we knew that we could catch him again. I did not want to waste energy that I will need in the final," Mateelong said later.

"My aim was to qualify today by running not too slow and not too fast. So, everything went as planned."

Iwamizu now faces a different fate. The six-time national champion placed 26th in the first round and did not advance to the final. He was more than 18 seconds off his personal record.

After the race, Kemboi summed up his effort and his nation's collective performance this way: "It was under control. I am OK. In the final we Kenyans will run as a team, not as individuals. We want to be the best."

Nine of the 10 fastest all-time times in the event belong to Kenyans, nine different Kenyans. What's more, the all-time record of 7:53.63, set in 2004, belongs to a man named Saif Saeed Shaheen of Qatar. He was previously known as Stephen Cherono and was also born in Kenya.