The United States of America is fast turning into a breeding ground for
Kenya’s next generation of athletic greats, with an increasing number of stars
packing their spikes and heading west to harness the world-class training
facilities and academic opportunities available there.
National sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki believes this
migration wave could be the key to unlocking the nation’s future champions. “America is much more developed in terms of
facilities compared to us. Most of our athletes take advantage of the lucrative
deals and scholarships offered by American colleges,” Mwaniki told The Star.
The seasoned tactician says the trend is not only
beneficial to individual athletes but also pivotal for Kenya’s long-term global
competitiveness. “This is a very good thing because they are helping
us develop our athletes. All of us cannot be here in Kenya,” he added.
One such success story is Dorcas Ewoi, the Tokyo
World Championships breakout star who stormed to silver in the 1,500m, clocking
3:54.92 behind four-time world champion Faith Kipyegon (3:52.15) and
Australia’s Jessica Hull (3:55.16).
“Ewoi is one of the stars who have taken advantage
of being in the US. She hasn’t been there long, but you can already see how fast
she is growing. If you compare her to our world Champion Lilian Odira, she took
a shorter time to claim a global medal,” Mwaniki observed. Ewoi’s journey began at South Plains College in
Texas (2018–2020) before joining the Campbell Fighting Camels track and field
program.
She finished fifth at the 2023 NCAA Division I
Outdoor Championships before turning professional with Puma. In 2024, she stunned the world by defeating Olympic
champion Athing Mu to win the Holloway Pro Classic, a World Athletics
Continental Tour Silver event.
Apart from Ewoi, Tokyo also had a number of top-class
athletes based in the US. Another rising sensation is Ishmael Kipkurui, who
finished fourth in the 10,000m at the Tokyo World Championships.
The young prodigy, formerly of Sinonin Secondary
School, joined the University of New Mexico in January 2025, where he broke the
NCAA record in the 10,000m at The TEN meet, clocking 26:50.21.
In June, he clinched the NCAA 10,000m crown and
added to his growing resume that already includes gold at the 2023 World Cross
Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
The women’s steeplechase team in Tokyo also
showcased the growing American influence. Doris Lemngole, a University of Alabama standout and
reigning NCAA steeplechase and 5,000m indoor champion, narrowly missed the
podium, placing fifth in 9:02.39.
Her teammate, Pamela Kosgei, who joined the
University of New Mexico in 2024, entered the Championships as the 2025 NCAA
5,000m and 10,000m double champion.
Before heading to the US, Kosgei had already
announced herself with bronze at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships and
won gold in the 3,000m steeplechase at the African U-20 Championships in Ndola.
Distance maestro Edwin Kurgat, who represented Kenya
at the Paris Olympics (5,000m) and Tokyo Worlds (10,000m), also polished his
craft in the US.
A product of St. Patrick’s High School, Iten, Kurgat
moved to America to join the University of Tennessee, later transferring to
Iowa State in 2018.
Another key member of Kenya’s Tokyo squad, Susan
Ejore, also honed her middle-distance prowess in the US before donning national
colours in the 1,500m in Paris 2024 and Tokyo.
Interestingly, the migration trend appears to favour
female athletes, a fact Mwaniki attributes to several factors. “Our female athletes moving to the US are more
compared to their male counterparts. It’s easier to bring women to the level
you want them to be or teach them.”
“Another factor is that maturity in athletics for
women takes a shorter time than for men. Also, not everyone can fit in the US
system, the recruiters look at education background,” Mwaniki explained.
Among the latest movers are 2019 African 400m
hurdles champion Vanice Kerubo, 1,500m prospect Mary Nyaboke and 800m hopeful
Dorcas Isoe. They join a powerful list of Kenyan women already
thriving on American soil.
Leading the charge is two-time world champion and
marathon powerhouse Hellen Obiri, who relocated to Boulder, Colorado, in 2022
to join the On Athletics Club (OAC).
Seeking better coaching and training partners for
her marathon career, Obiri has since reaped massive rewards. In 2023, she completed a stunning Boston–New York
double, winning in 2:21:38 and 2:27:23, respectively.
She defended her Boston title in 2024 (2:22:37) and
placed second in New York behind Sheila Chepkirui (2:24:35). At the Paris Olympics, Obiri clinched bronze in
2:23:10 behind Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa, and earlier this year, she
clocked 2:17:41 for second in Boston, just behind Sharon Lokedi (2:17:22).
Lokedi, another Kenyan success story, relocated to
the US in 2015 after graduating from Kapkenda Girls High School, pursuing
nursing and business at the University of Kansas.
A 10-time All-American and 12-time Big 12 champion,
she won the NCAA 10,000m title in 2018 before conquering the global road stage. Her stellar resume includes the 2022 New York
Marathon title, Boston victory this year, second place in Boston 2024
(2:22:45), and third in New York 2023 (2:27:33).
Back home, Townhall Athletics Club in Iten is
helping identify and prepare athletes for these US opportunities. Director
Albert Kirwa revealed that nearly 35 student-athletes have already moved to
America in 2025 alone.
“Townhall was established in 2021, and we conduct
trials once a month to send athletes to various colleges and universities in
America,” Kirwa said. “An athlete must have completed Form Four with at
least a D+ and be under 24 years. We test in 5,000m, 3,000m, 1,500m, and 800m
events, with specific qualifying standards.”
The women’s 5,000m standard is 16:59 (14:09 for
men), 3,000m is 9:59 (8:09 for men), 1,500m is 4:27 (3:47 for men), and 800m is
2:10 (1:59 for men). Once qualified, athletes submit their credentials
and passports for placement, with colleges or well-wishers covering travel
costs.
“Once the athlete meets qualifications, we take their
information, where they need to have a passport and their KCSE certificate. From
there, the college that is interested in the athletes caters for travel, and those who
don’t, we have well-wishers who help them.”
As the athletes prepare for their journey to the US, they pitch camp at the Townhall camp in Iten. "Before going to the US, the selected athletes stay in our camp where they are trained nd guided by our coaches Willy Bitok and Benson Mateka."
Kirwa pointed to some of the top athletes who have
passed through the Townhall trials. “We have had some big names who have come through
Townhall, including Ishmael, Pamela and Evans Korir, who showed remarkable
talents that landed them scholarships.”
Mwaniki notes that this phenomenon isn’t new;
Kenya’s athletics legacy in America runs deep. “This is not the first time Kenyan stars have gone
on to shine internationally after studying in the US. We have Paul Ereng and
the late Henry Rono who flew the nation’s flag proudly,” he said.
Ereng relocated to the US to join the University
of Virginia in early 1988, where he took up the 800m. He won Olympic gold for Kenya in Seoul 1988, as well
as back-to-back world titles in Budapest 1989 and Seville 1991.
Rono, meanwhile he attended college in the US
at Washington State University in Pullman in 1976.
His career saw him claim double gold at the 1978
Edmonton Commonwealth Games in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase, as well as
another pair of gold in the 10,000m and steeplechase at the 1978 African Games
in Algiers.
Mwaniki also credited Barnaba Korir, Athletics
Kenya’s chair of youth development and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya
(NOCK) first vice President, for translating his American experience into
administrative success.
“Korir learned a lot about management while in the
US during his athletic career, and he has brought that knowledge to help uplift
our athletics,” Mwaniki remarked.
Korir attended Iowa State University, where he holds
a Bachelor of Finance. He was further inducted into the Iowa State University Athletics
Hall of Fame in 2019.
Between 1987 and 1988, he was a six-time Big Eight
champion while at Iowa University, winning the 10,000m, 5,000m, One Mile, Cross
Country, Distance Medley relay and 4 x1,600m. He is also a three-time All-American champion in the
5,000m and cross country.
Mwaniki also revealed that soon, Kenya may have more
sprinters relocate to America. “There is a belief that Kenya is not a sprinting
nation; they know we are only long-distance athletes. But with the way our
sprints are coming up, it is very promising.”
“At the Tokyo championships, some of our sprinters
were actually approached to join the American collegiate. They are just waiting for visas. This shows that in future we may have many sprinters based in
America.”
"The facilities in the US will prove to be highly beneficial for our sprinters if we are to dominate not only the continent but the globe."