Blind Runner, Clear Vision: Wilson Bii’s Nairobi Debut Fueled by Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA)
In a moving display of courage and transformation, Wilson Bii, a visually impaired Paralympian and Rio 2016 bronze medalist, made his road racing debut at the 2025 Nairobi City Marathon, taking on the half marathon along the scenic Nairobi Expressway.
For the 38-year-old Kenyan, long known for his prowess on the track, this was more than just a change in terrain — it marked a bold new chapter in a journey defined by resilience and reinvention.
“This was my first time competing in a road race,” Bii said. “I’ve spent years on the track, but this year I decided to train for longer distances. I wanted to challenge myself in a new way, and I found purpose on the road.”
But the road that brought him here was far from easy. Bii had good eyesight until 2002, when a tragic road accident changed his life forever. Shattered glass from the crash severely damaged his eyes, ultimately leading to complete vision loss. Though devastated, Bii refused to give in. Instead, he redirected his focus — and chose to run under the Paralympic banner.
“I never gave up,” he said. “Running became my way forward.”
Today, Bii trains with the Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA), a grassroots initiative founded by Bob Anderson, the American running pioneer best known for launching Runner’s World magazine in 1966. Anderson, who helped ignite the global running boom through journalism and advocacy, now devotes his time to supporting emerging Kenyan talent.
At age 49, Anderson himself set a personal best in the half marathon (clocking 1:19:17) — an individual pursuit that reflects the very mindset he seeks to instill in others. Through KATA, he now oversees a network of 21 high-altitude training camps across Kenya, providing coaching, structure, and opportunity to athletes from underserved communities.
Bii trains at one of these camps in Sirikwa, Kuresoi North in Nakuru County — in the heart of the Rift Valley, where elevation, tradition, and grit continue to shape some of the world’s greatest endurance athletes.
Alongside his guide, Job Kiprono, Bii navigates training and racing with trust and precision.
“Kiprono has been my eyes for years. We move together, think together. We’re not just running for me — we’re running for both our families,” Bii shared.
He draws inspiration from the legacy of others. “When I saw how running changed Henry Wanyoike’s life, I knew I had to try. That’s why I came here today — to push myself and to inspire others who may feel forgotten.”
Bii now has his sights set on representing Kenya at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in India, after previously missing global events in Dubai and Morocco.
His guide, Kiprono, is appealing to Athletics Kenya and the National Paralympic Committee of Kenya to recognize the upcoming Belgut Road Race on July 24 as an official qualifier for para-athletes.
“If Belgut can be acknowledged, it will give athletes like Bii the opportunity we’ve waited for,” Kiprono said. “We want to earn our spot through performance, not politics.”
As Bob Anderson’s vision continues to take root across Kenya, athletes like Wilson Bii embody the mission: to empower through sport, to nurture overlooked potential, and to prove that running can restore far more than fitness — it can restore lives.
At the Nairobi City Marathon, Wilson Bii didn’t just finish a race — he reclaimed his momentum clocking 1:07:50 for the half marathon. From the wreckage of a 2002 accident to the fast-moving lanes of a 2025 half marathon, Bii now runs with a clarity of purpose. And behind him, a global legacy of running finds fertile ground in Kenya’s red soil — and in the courage of those who refuse to stop moving forward.
posted Tuesday July 8th
by Robert Kibet