Powered by Potatoes, Fueled by Passion: Inside the Rise of KATA in Kenya
THIKA, Kenya, July 18, 2025 — About 40 kilometers northeast of Nairobi sits Thika, a town once best known for its factories. But just outside its bustling center, a quiet revolution is taking place—one that’s redefining how running talent is discovered and developed in Kenya.
Welcome to the Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA)—a visionary project founded by Runner’s World and My Best Runs creator Bob Anderson (first photo) and powered by a bold and sustainable idea: combine world-class running with community farming. What began in 2019 as a modest base has grown into a thriving network of athletic development across Kenya.
Thika: The KATA Running Retreat
At the heart of it all is the KATA Running Retreat in Thika, where Kenyan athletes live and train full-time, and where guests from around the world come to “train the Kenyan way”. Situated at altitude, the retreat offers structured training, rest, nutrition, and performance monitoring on a measured course.
Thika is managed by Christopher Kamande (photo 4), who ensures that the vision is executed with care and discipline.
“We provide a safe space for these athletes,” says Kamande. “They get everything they need—meals, coaching, rest, even digital support for their racing profiles. We treat them like the professionals they’re becoming.”
Athletes’ verified performances are uploaded to My Best Runs by Elam Wangwero (photo 5 when he met Bob and his wife Catherine for the first time in 2014), KATA’s digital lead and longtime collaborator with Anderson. “When someone runs 28 minutes here, the world should know about it,” he says.
A Model That’s Growing Across Kenya
Since June 2025, the KATA team has launched a new initiative: combining elite training camps with three-acre potato farms to build sustainable, athlete-driven communities. In just six weeks, 22 new KATA Running Camps and KATA Potato Farms have been established across Kenya, with three more set to open by August 1, bringing the total to 25.
“This gives us 25 KATA Camps and Farms,” says Anderson. “It has been exciting to find operators who share the same passion as I. We have an amazing group of operators—all dedicated to our unique project. They all know how important their three-acre potato farm is, because that’s what will power their camp in the long run.”
At each location, athletes work 25 hours a week planting, maintaining, and harvesting potatoes. In return, they receive free housing, daily meals, and world-class coaching—a holistic model designed to develop both athletes and communities.
“This model gives athletes a chance not just to run, but to build a life,” says Kamande. “It teaches responsibility, sustainability, and teamwork.”
Time Trials that Open Door's
KATA’s monthly 5K and 10K time trials (phot two) certified and measured, are held on the Thika course and have become a trusted platform for athletes to showcase their ability to race organizers and sponsors worldwide. “Our monthly time trials were started September 2021,” says John KATA’s head coach, “we have seen many amazing performances both from our KATA’s athletes and others.” All runners are invited to come run.
“These time trials are life-changing,” Kamande says. “Many of our runners don’t have agents or the means to travel to big races. So we bring opportunity to them.”
Results are published on My Best Runs, offering a transparent, verified path to the world stage.
From 34 Minutes to 27:47
Before the farming project began, KATA was already changing lives—and Peter Mwaniki Njeru (photo three) is one of its earliest and most powerful success stories.
“When Peter first came to KATA,” recalls Anderson, “he was running around 34 minutes for 10K.” Through structured training, support, and work around the Retreat, Peter steadily improved. In 2024, he stunned the running world by winning the Chicago 10K in 27:47.
Sub-27 Potential at Altitude
More recently, Zachary Kireka ran 27:00 flat at the Nairobi City Marathon 10K—an altitude performance that would almost certainly translate to sub-27 on a sea-level course in Europe.
“Zachary’s performance shows the next level of what’s possible within the KATA system,” says Anderson.
Together, Peter and Zachary are just the beginning—living proof that the KATA approach is unlocking elite potential.
A Legacy Rooted in Vision
At a time when many athletes in Kenya pay to train, live in overcrowded rooms, and struggle for basic support, KATA is different. Everything—lodging, food, coaching, and opportunity—is provided at no cost to the athlete. And now, through potatoes, the project has a path to sustain itself.
One KATA operator summed it up best in a message to Bob Anderson:
“Your unique approach,” wrote Edwin Soi, “blending athletic training with sustainable farming, is clearly making a significant positive impact on the lives of the athletes and the community. It’s a testament to how innovative ideas, when implemented with genuine care, can empower people far beyond their initial scope.”
As the KATA Running Retreat in Thika and now also in Portugal continues to welcome international guests and the KATA Camps and Farms spread across the country, the mission remains clear:
Empower athletes. Build communities. And grow the future—one step, and one potato, at a time.
posted Friday July 18th
by Robert Kibet