Kenya’s Running Rule: How the Running Community and Success of Athletics in Kenya Has Significantly Impacted the Country

Abstract

Kenyan middle distance and distance running has been notoriously dominant in track & field on a global stage for decades, perhaps only paralleled by Jamaican sprints. Not only has Kenya thrived in athletics internationally, but Kenyan runners also possess a fostered sense of community and togetherness. In this thesis, I will be examining the impact that the running community and the success of athletics in Kenya has had on the country. For clarity, the term athletics encompasses track & field, road racing, cross country, and any discipline of running or field events. It is the globally used and accepted term, and only the United States uses the term track & field, much like being the only country not to use the metric system. I am attempting to take a holistic approach in measuring the effect running and athletics has had on infrastructure, development, and the national unity of Kenya. While researching this topic, I have concluded that Kenya is slightly further along in terms of peace, institutions, and economic success in comparison to its neighboring developing nations. Whether or not this is a result or an effect of the running community in Kenya is what my thesis is exploring, and while I would love to attribute Kenya’s general successes as a developing nation to their athletic prowess on the track and roads, it is difficult to quantitatively measure this beyond a regional level. The majority of Kenya’s running success comes from the Rift Valley region, where the legendary training meccas of Iten and Eldoret are located and is home to the Kalenjin tribe. While I try to make an argument that a strong foundation of community in running contributes to peace, which in turn contributes to economic growth and development in Kenya, this sense of community is generally along tribal and regional lines. However, I do believe that there is a national sense of pride in athletics that is a unifying force across regions and tribes, and that there is a national foundation of community stemming from running and athletics, that can have a significant impact on institutional factors such as education and economy. Kenya is considered as an international hotspot for runners around the world with a strong positive global image, but more importantly athletics provides an opportunity for Kenya athletes to compete and make a living, and for Kenyan people to give support and rally behind their fellow countrymen and women. I believe that sports can play an important role in society, and while the influence of the role of athletics is already present in Kenyan society, I will introduce policy recommendations at the end of this paper that aim to improve that role and impact even further.