Running News Daily

As 2025 draws to a close, year-end reflections in distance running often gravitate toward times, titles, and breakthrough performances. Yet some of the most compelling stories in Kenya this year unfolded far from finish lines—across high-altitude farms, disciplined training camps, and an unconventional road race that asked athletes to start twice in a single day.

In 2025, the Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA) quietly reshaped what athlete development looks like in practice. Across Kenya’s famed running regions—Iten, Kaptagat, Nyahururu, Keringet, Molo, Kericho, Bomet, and Elgeyo Marakwet—KATA, under the guidance of Chief Technical Officer Denis Musau, expanded its focus beyond mileage and workouts to include nutrition, recovery, sustainability, and innovative competition design. 

At the center of that shift was an initiative that seemed deceptively simple: potato farming.

Originally launched to support camp operators, the program quickly addressed two pressing challenges—nutrition and economic stability. For athletes living and training full-time at altitude, consistent access to energy-rich food proved as critical as any interval session.

“The potato farm has helped some of our camp operators and the entire athletics fraternity,” Musau said. “It is very nutritious, gives energy, and supports recovery for our athletes. Despite being cheap and easy to find in the market, potatoes play a big role in our training environment.”

The initiative aimed to ease food costs, improve diet quality, and reinforce camps running sustainably. It also fostered a sense of ownership within camps—reflecting KATA’s long-term goal of building resilient training ecosystems rather than dependence on outside support.

Kenya’s varied geography, however, quickly revealed that not every region was equally suited to potato farming. 

“Potato farming has been good across the nation where we have camps,” Musau explained, “but some parts of the country are not suitable because of climate factors such as rainfall and soil type.”

Rather than dilute the project, KATA responded with refinement. Future planting will be concentrated in regions that best support both agriculture and elite training, including Keringet in Nakuru County, Kapcherop in Elgeyo Marakwet, and Olkalou in Nyandarua County.

“Next season, we must carefully consider the best areas to plant potatoes,” Musau added.

Life inside KATA camps remains demanding. Athletes rise before dawn for long runs at altitude, balancing hill work, track sessions, and cross-country trails with careful attention to recovery, diet, and mental preparation. In such an environment, even modest improvements—better nutrition, improved recovery routines—can produce meaningful gains. 

While farming strengthened life off the track, competition remained central to KATA’s mission. Structured time trials across camps continued to provide performance benchmarks and exposure to international opportunities.

“Normally, we conduct time trials across our camps, which help expose and link our athletes to international opportunities,” Musau noted. 

Yet one event stood out as both a philosophical statement and a competitive crucible: the Double Road Race.

Conceived by Bob Anderson, veteran running journalist and founder of Runner’s World magazine and My Best Runs, the Double Road Race challenges athletes to race twice in a single day—testing endurance, recovery, pacing, and mental resilience. Designed to reward discipline and preparation over raw talent alone, the format has become a rare meeting point for athletes from different camps, regions, and backgrounds.

“Every year in September, we hold the Double Road Race, where athletes from across the country come together to compete,” Musau said. “This year, we had a successful race in Thika, Kiambu County.”

For many KATA athletes, the event served as a real-world stress test. Racing twice in one day exposed weaknesses in recovery, fueling, and mental focus—validating training systems built on consistency rather than shortcuts. Athletes returned to camp with lessons that extended beyond the road: how to manage energy, respect process, and embrace discipline.

By year’s end, the significance of 2025 lay not in a single headline result but in the quiet evolution of systems. From structured camps and practical nutrition initiatives to innovative competition formats, Kenya continued to offer a blueprint for athlete development that resonates far beyond its borders.

From potato fields at altitude to double starts on Kenyan roads, KATA’s 2025 reinforced a simple truth: performance is cultivated long before race day—and often, the most meaningful progress happens where few are watching, until the results speak for themselves.

Looking ahead to 2026, these lessons provide a clear roadmap for the next generation of athletes. The blend of practical support, strategic training, and innovative racing promises to keep Kenya at the forefront of global distance running—and ensures that transformation continues both on and off the track.