Kenyan running star Faith Kipyegon is considered one of the greatest 1,500m athletes the world has ever seen. If she wins her third consecutive Olympic gold in Paris, she’ll become the first athlete in the history of the event to achieve this feat, male or female.
She holds world records in the 1,500m and one-mile events and is a former world record holder in the 5,000m. Kipyegon is a shining example of Kenya’s global dominance in distance running.
But, as a scholar who researches east African sports, her success raises a crucial question: how can Kenya ensure a flow of talent like hers in the future?
Securing international medals is increasingly becoming a challenge. Every nation wants to be represented on the awards podium. There are concerns about Kenya sustaining its success, especially given the rivalry from east African-born migrant athletes running for other countries.
How can Kenya keep excelling on the athletics track? To answer that question, I first look at what’s behind Kipyegon’s success and, drawing from this and broader studies, I then propose a roadmap of seven key factors that the country must focus on.
Kipyegon’s career is a good place to understand what’s gone right with Kenya’s athletics training system. The reasons for her success include her talent and work ethic, and her positive and humble attitude. But central is the nurturing environment she trained in.
Born in 1994 on a rural Kenyan farm in the Rift Valley, she walked and jogged many miles to and from school. (According to research, one of the factors that shapes the most successful Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners is growing up walking and jogging between 5km and 20km daily to and from school.)
