Running News Daily

By Bob Anderson, Founder of KATA

I wanted Charles Ngeno to succeed.

That is important to say at the beginning because this didn’t start as a fight. It started with trust.

In June 2025, Kenyan coach Charles Ngeno joined our KATA program. I agreed to loan him money to establish two KATA Running Camps and grow six acres of potatoes in Kenya. 

The idea was straightforward. KATA would provide the startup capital. Charles would operate the camps and potato farms. The potatoes would generate revenue, our loan would be repaid, profits would be shared according to our agreement, and the operation could become increasingly self-supporting.

Instead, Catherine and I ultimately advanced Charles 1,077,500 Kenyan shillings.

As of August 12, 2026, according to our records, Charles has repaid:

Zero.

Not one shilling.

And when I asked him again on August 12 when he was going to start paying back the loan, his response included:

“Let’s meet in centuries.”

He subsequently wrote:

“The time will come” 

After more than a year of promises, those words told me a lot.

I Was Warned About Charles

Shortly after entering into our agreement, people in Kenya began warning me about Charles.

I listened, but I also listened to Charles.

He called me regularly. We talked at length. He assured me that the things people said about him weren’t true. He presented himself as someone dedicated to helping young Kenyan athletes.

I chose to give him a chance.

Looking back, I believe Charles took advantage of that trust.

The important thing now is not what Charles says about me or what I say about him. It is what the written record shows.

And we have a substantial written record.

Charles Himself Called It a Loan

There should be no confusion now about whether this money was a gift.

It wasn’t.

My WhatsApp correspondence repeatedly describes these payments as loans, and Charles himself used exactly that word.

By September 29, 2025, I wrote to Charles:

“I have sent you 959,000 against your loan of 650k for your two camps and 600k for your six acres.”

Charles did not respond that the money wasn’t a loan.

Quite the opposite.

On October 7, while asking me for another 21,000 KES, Charles wrote:

“Then I will be knowing that my total loan is 1000000ksh.”

Two days later he made it even clearer:

“With this support, my total loan will now stand at Ksh 1,000,000.”

Those are Charles Ngeno’s words, not mine.

The Requests for Money Just Kept Coming

The pattern became remarkably consistent.

Charles would describe progress.

Then he would ask for more money.

On September 15 he told me he had planted the remaining quarter acre and said the 20,000 KES I had just sent had helped him.

Then came:

“Please send me 25k. Now.”

On October 3 he said his Nakuru camp rent was urgent and warned:

“Its very embarrassing to have my KATA camp closed.”

He urged Catherine and me to continue funding him, saying we had completed “90% journey” and shouldn’t stop with only 10 percent remaining.

On October 7 he predicted a very substantial potato harvest:

“Bob for my first harvest I’m expecting to have more than 150 bags of 50kg.”

He added:

“i promise good return.”

On October 21, as harvest approached, there was another request:

“Bob. Please send me 15k for olenguruone camp.”

On October 26, Charles said he needed another 28,000 KES to pay cooks at both camps and top up the Nakuru operation.

I sent it.

Two days later, after telling Charles that KATA existed to train, house and feed athletes and that potato revenue was supposed to support the operation, Charles wrote:

“Bob i do respect you. You really uplift me. I will assure you that all will be well.”

Four minutes later he asked me for another 5,000 KES.

This went on and on.

Eventually I stopped the bleed.

Where Were the Returns?

By October, potatoes were supposedly approaching harvest.

Charles gave me specific projected harvest dates.

He told me his first harvest would produce more than 150 bags of 50 kilograms.

I repeatedly explained how the money was supposed to work.

Potatoes would be harvested and sold. Sale proceeds would first go into the KATA account. The appropriate portion of the original farming loan would be recovered. The remaining profit would then be divided according to our agreement.

I wasn’t trying to take Charles’s livelihood away from him.

The opposite was true.

I wanted the operation to succeed so Charles could make money, KATA could recover its capital, athletes could be supported and the money could be recycled into additional farming.

But when harvest time arrived, getting money back became increasingly difficult.

In November, when I asked when funds would be transferred to our Equity Bank account in Kenya, Charles answered:

“When the potatoes market will show fairness in price.for now all has to wait.”

He later wrote:

“as soon as I sell potatoes, I will ask for bank account.”

But there was another revealing sentence:

“Untill I see there is return, I will sell. Else for now not yet.”

The person who had enthusiastically accepted our money was now deciding on his own when the crop financed by that money would be sold.

I Kept Giving Him the Benefit of the Doubt

This is perhaps the part that bothers me most.

Every time something didn’t add up, I wanted to believe there was an explanation.

When others questioned Charles, he frequently suggested that they were enemies trying to damage him.

At one point, after I asked for basic proof of his camps and potato operation, Charles told me:

“I know who is behind all this.”

He said the person was a “pure enemy” and told me:

“I only expect communication from you directly.”

That should have been another warning sign.

Instead of welcoming independent verification of an operation financed with our money, Charles repeatedly tried to turn questions about documentation into questions about the motives of the people asking them.

I nevertheless continued working with him.

There Was Another History I Should Have Examined More Closely

I also later learned much more about a serious controversy involving Charles a decade earlier.

In 2015, Kenyan media reported allegations by Athletics Kenya officials concerning Charles and young female athletes at the Keringet training camp.

The allegations were extremely serious.

Charles denied them.

Contemporary reporting said Athletics Kenya announced a lifetime ban and ordered the camp closed amid allegations involving manipulation and improper relationships with female athletes.

Charles publicly disputed the accusations and said they were rumors intended to tarnish his name.

Those allegations should not be presented as proven facts simply because they were published.

But they were serious enough that I wish I had investigated the entire episode much more carefully before trusting Charles with our money.

Charles has also had genuine accomplishments as a coach, and athletes associated with Keringet have achieved considerable success. That is part of his history too.

None of that, however, answers the question before us today:

What happened to KATA’s 1,077,500 KES, and when will it be repaid?

From Promises to “Let’s Meet in Centuries”

For months I received assurances.

Charles told me:

“I’m promising you will see the Impact.”

He promised a “good return.”

He told me:

“I will assure you that all will be well.”

He acknowledged in writing that the money was a loan.

He told me how much that loan totaled.

He gave us projected harvest dates.

He predicted more than 150 bags from his first harvest.

And at one point he assured me that he would repay 400,000 KES.

That payment never arrived.

Eventually the total amount Catherine and I advanced reached 1,077,500 KES.

According to our records:

Money advanced: 1,077,500 KES

Money repaid: 0 KES

Outstanding: 1,077,500 KES

Then, on August 12, 2026, after I again asked when he was going to start paying back the loan, I got:

“Let’s meet in centuries.”

For me, that was the end of the excuses.

Charles Ngeno Has the Opportunity to Answer

I am publishing this because other people considering financial dealings with Charles deserve to know what happened to us.

But Charles deserves the opportunity to respond as well.

So I am asking him publicly:

Did you receive 1,077,500 KES from us?

Do you acknowledge that this money was advanced under our KATA loan arrangement?

How much money did the six acres of potatoes actually produce?

Where did the proceeds go?

What happened to the two KATA camps we financed?

Why have you not repaid a single shilling?

What happened to the 400,000 KES you said you would repay?

And finally:

When are you going to repay the 1,077,500 KES?

Charles doesn’t need to answer with another promise.

He doesn’t need to tell me that “the time will come.”

And he certainly doesn’t need to tell me:

“Let’s meet in centuries.”

He can answer with something much simpler 

A payment.

Until that happens, I believe people dealing financially with Charles Ngeno deserve to see the record and make up their own minds.

We trusted him.

We funded him.

We waited.

Now we are making the record public.

 

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered a sensational performance in Budapest, storming to victory in the women’s 100m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in a breathtaking 10.62 seconds.

The American produced a superb display of acceleration and composure to claim the World Ultimate Championship title while recording the fastest women’s 100m time in the world this year. Her 10.62 mark underlined her exceptional form and placed her firmly at the top of the global sprinting hierarchy.

Jefferson-Wooden controlled the race through the decisive stages and maintained her form all the way to the finish to secure a statement victory against a field packed with championship pedigree. She crossed the line ahead of Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who clocked 10.74 seconds with a -0.2 m/s wind, while Sha’Carri Richardson took third in 10.76.

Women’s 100m Final

1. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — 10.62

2. Julien Alfred — 10.74 (-0.2 m/s)

3. Sha’Carri Richardson — 10.76

The victory was especially significant given the quality of the opposition. Jefferson-Wooden held her nerve against Alfred and Richardson, two of the most accomplished sprinters of the current generation, to produce the fastest performance in the world this year when it mattered most.

Alfred once again demonstrated her consistency at the highest level by taking silver, while Richardson completed an all-star podium in a race that brought together three of the biggest names in women’s sprinting.

But beyond the time, the title and the celebration, one of the most touching moments came after the race when Jefferson-Wooden embraced her father, Melvin, in an emotional celebration.

Their moment carried a deeply personal meaning. When Melissa was just 17 years old, she donated her stem cells to help her father undergo a bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Years later, the two shared an unforgettable embrace in Budapest after she had become the World Ultimate Champion.

For Jefferson-Wooden, however, the evening was about far more than a medal. It was the culmination of an extraordinary journey, now highlighted by a world-leading 10.62 seconds on one of the biggest stages in athletics.

With the Ultimate Championship title secured and her father by her side, Jefferson-Wooden leaves Budapest with more than being an ultimate champion. She leaves with momentum, confidence and a powerful statement of intent — turning a high-profile showdown into one of the defining sprint performances of her season.

Audrey Werro has added another major title to her extraordinary season, storming to victory in the women’s 800m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.

The Swiss star delivered a commanding performance, taking control from the opening gun and refusing to surrender the lead as she powered through an absorbing battle against two of the biggest names in the event.

Werro stopped the clock at 1:55.88 to become the Ultimate Championships 800m champion, producing another statement performance on one of the sport’s newest and most prestigious stages.

Behind her, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson fought her way to second in 1:56.26, while the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol completed the podium in 1:56.74.

The result once again brought together the same formidable trio that featured on the podium at the European Championships, but Werro again proved to be the athlete who could rise above the challenge when it mattered most.

Her Budapest triumph is the latest chapter in a season that has already included records, a successful Diamond League Trophy defence and European Championship gold. Now, she can add the Ultimate Championships crown to a growing list of accomplishments.

Werro’s consistency has been particularly impressive in an 800m event packed with elite talent. Rather than simply relying on a fast finish, the Swiss athlete showed her authority by taking the initiative from the beginning and maintaining enough strength and composure to hold off Hodgkinson and Broeders-Bol all the way to the line.

The victory also underlined the remarkable depth of the women’s 800m, with three athletes separated by less than a second at the finish. Hodgkinson’s 1:56.26 and Broeders-Bol’s 1:56.74 showed just how fiercely contested the race was, but Werro’s decision to dictate the pace ultimately gave her the decisive advantage.

For Werro, this was more than another medal. It was another opportunity to demonstrate that her rise is no passing moment. On a stage featuring established champions and elite rivals, she once again produced the performance required to claim the biggest prize.

For Hodgkinson, the silver medal adds another major podium finish, while Broeders-Bol once again demonstrated her ability to compete with the very best over two laps.

But the spotlight in Budapest belonged unmistakably to Werro.

With another championship crown secured, the Swiss star has strengthened her claim as the athlete setting the standard in women’s 800m running. This is Audrey Werro’s era — and the rest of the field is chasing.

Busang Collen Kebinatshipi has delivered another sensational performance, storming to victory in the men’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The reigning world champion stopped the clock at an astonishing 43.39 seconds, smashing his own Botswana national record and moving to fifth on the world all-time list.

Kebinatshipi produced a commanding finish to pull away from his rivals and secure the Ultimate Championship title. American star Rai Benjamin finished second in 44.15, while Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago completed the podium in 44.23.

 Men’s 400m

1. Busang Collen Kebinatshipi — 43.39 NR

2. Rai Benjamin — 44.15

3. Jereem Richards — 44.23

The performance is even more remarkable considering that Kebinatshipi had already rewritten the Botswana record just one week ago in Brussels, where he ran 43.40. In Budapest, he lowered that mark by another 0.01 seconds to establish a new national record of 43.39.

That improvement has also propelled the 22-year-old into rare territory. His latest time now ranks him fifth fastest in history over 400m, placing him among an extraordinary group of athletes who have broken the 43.40 barrier.

Kebinatshipi's victory also caps an extraordinary season for the Botswana star. After establishing himself as a global champion, he has continued to demonstrate that he belongs among the very best one-lap runners in the world.

And there is a major reward for his historic night in Budapest: Kebinatshipi walks away as the Ultimate Champion and $150,000 richer.

From another national record to a place among the five fastest 400m runners ever, Kebinatshipi has turned an already remarkable season into something truly special.

Botswana has its latest sprinting superstar — and Kebinatshipi is showing that his ceiling may be even higher than anyone imagined. 

Marileidy Paulino once again proved why she is the undisputed queen of the one-lap event, powering to victory in the women’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The Dominican Republic superstar produced a sensational 49.07 seconds to claim gold, pulling decisively away in the final straight and holding off a fiercely competitive field to extend her remarkable unbeaten run.

Paulino delivered her trademark combination of controlled speed and devastating finishing strength. She remained firmly in contention through the opening stages before unleashing her decisive move down the home straight, where she quickly opened a gap on her closest challengers.

Norway’s Henriette Jæger mounted a strong challenge but could not match Paulino’s finishing speed, crossing the line second in an impressive 49.28. Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce completed the podium after clocking 49.56, ensuring that three of the world’s leading 400m talents occupied the medals.

The result once again underlined Paulino’s extraordinary consistency at the highest level. She entered Budapest as the world leader after running 48.48 in Paris in June, a performance that also set a Diamond League record. She subsequently remained unbeaten throughout her Diamond League campaign, closing the circuit with a meeting-record 48.64 in Brussels.

Budapest has also become a special venue in Paulino’s career. Three years ago, at the same National Athletics Centre, she captured her first individual world title, marking the beginning of another dominant chapter in her career. She later added Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, further establishing herself among the defining 400m athletes of her generation.

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship has brought together the sport’s biggest stars in a new winner-takes-the-spotlight format, with Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and leading performers competing for ultimate honours.

For Paulino, the occasion once again ended with Ultimate Crown on her arms.

With 49.07 seconds, she did more than win another major 400m title. She delivered another statement of authority, powering through the final straight with the confidence and speed that have made her one of the most dominant figures in modern women’s athletics.

Marileidy Paulino remains unbeaten, remains relentless and, once again, remains the queen of the one lap.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has made a major decision regarding the remainder of his World Athletics Ultimate Championship campaign, confirming that he will withdraw from the men’s 1500m in Budapest despite producing a sensational performance to win the 5,000m title.

The Norwegian superstar stormed to victory in the inaugural Ultimate Championship 5,000m on Friday night, clocking a season-best 12:59.24 and delivering a devastating finishing kick to defeat Olympic 5,000m champion Cole Hocker and American Parker Wolfe.

Ingebrigtsen’s final 100 metres was arguably the defining moment of the race. The Olympic champion produced a remarkable 12.60-second closing 100m, powering away from the field to secure the $150,000 winner’s prize and underline just how far his fitness has progressed since returning from Achilles surgery.

The victory was particularly significant after what has been an extremely difficult period for the 25-year-old. Earlier in the season, Ingebrigtsen faced serious uncertainty over whether he would even be able to compete at the highest level again. His return has gradually gathered momentum, and his performance in Budapest offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that the Norwegian is rediscovering his formidable racing ability.

But rather than risk pushing his recovering body further, Ingebrigtsen has now opted to step away from the 1500m.

The decision means the highly anticipated showdown with British rival Josh Kerr will not take place in Budapest after all. The two stars had been expected to renew one of the biggest rivalries in modern middle-distance running in the 1500m final.

Instead, Ingebrigtsen is looking beyond the immediate opportunity and towards the bigger picture.

“I’m thinking about 2027… Fitness cannot be faked,” the Norwegian said, signalling that protecting his long-term condition has become more important than chasing another major victory only days after his return to peak-level competition.

The decision comes just one week after an emotionally charged Diamond League Final in Brussels, where Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in the 1500m behind Australia’s Cameron Myers, Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech and American Ethan Strand.

After that race, Ingebrigtsen delivered a fiery assessment of his rivals and questioned the tactics surrounding the pacemaking, particularly involving Hocker. He later acknowledged that there had been “a little too much adrenaline and emotion” when microphones were placed in front of him immediately after the race.

Yet his latest decision shows that beneath the emotion and competitive intensity lies a longer-term strategy.

Ingebrigtsen has already demonstrated that he can compete at an elite level again. His 12:59.24 in Budapest was not simply a victory — it was a statement that the Norwegian remains capable of producing a world-class finish even after months of injury rehabilitation.

Now, however, he is choosing not to gamble with that progress.

For a runner who has spent much of the year fighting his way back from injury, another 1500m race could have offered enormous rewards but also carried unnecessary risk. By withdrawing, Ingebrigtsen is effectively prioritising longevity over one more opportunity for immediate glory.

His message is clear: the comeback is underway, but it will not be rushed.

The 5,000m victory has given Ingebrigtsen confidence, momentum and perhaps, most importantly, proof that his body can once again handle elite competition.

Now comes the harder part — knowing when to stop.

With 2027 already firmly in his sights, the Norwegian has chosen recovery over risk. And after everything he has endured, that could ultimately prove to be one of the most important decisions of his comeback.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is not walking away from the sport. He is protecting his future in it.