For over 50 years, Kenyan athletes have dominated global long-distance running. But while the world’s fascination has remained glued to the elite runners, another side to the country’s running culture has been thriving in the last five years; ultra running.
Ultras as they are popularly known are runs and races that are longer than a full marathon distance (42.2km). For the longest time, longer races have been regarded as almost exclusively white affairs. A 2018 Guardian article even wondered “Why don’t Kenyans run Ultramarathons? Money had to do with everything with why such a top-level sport did not feature any Kenyans. But that has been changing.
The growing popularity of competitive ultra running globally skyrocketing in recent decades has seen an influx of ultra marathon and mountain ultra runners – events in the same category whose only differentiator is the level of elevation.
A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports in April showed that East Africans (Ethiopia and Kenya) are the fastest in 50-km ultra-marathons. The study aimed to identify elite ultra-marathoners in the 50 km category by country, the locations of the fastest races, and their age.
Yet, little is known of this new breed of Kenyans who, neither identifying as elites nor driven by cash prizes have been changing the face of the sport both locally and internationally to dispel the notion that Kenyans don’t run ultra marathons.
The ultra-running dare-devils
Last month, James Muhia, Limo Kipkemoi and Freeman Wang’oe took part in the Great Malwa Ghaati Ultra (161km) in India
In May this year, as Kenya mourned the loss of Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui considered to be one of the country’s best and most renowned alpinists and ultrarunners, the ultra-running and mountaineering community was more grief-stricken at the loss of one of its most brazen dare-devil.
Cheruiyot, 40 who died on 24th May 2024 while attempting to climb Mount Everest(8848.86 m) without supplemental oxygen was aiming to write his name on the growing list of mountaineers who have succeeded in the dangerous no-oxy attempt whose history goes back 46 years. Had he summited, Cheruiyot would have become the first African to do so.
But Cheruiyot’s achievements transcended mountaineering. For him, running an ultra was his way of recovering from a daring climb. Sometimes, he did both at the same time- mountain ultra running. Going through his jaw-dropping list of completed ultras, one stands out for its intimidating distance and terrain. In September 2019 he became the first African to complete the Tor Des Geants (Tour of the Giants) in the Italian Alps. It was a 356km trail with an elevation of 27,000m. He even wrote a book on it; “Ultramarathon: The Story Of Tor Des Géants.”
For many in the African Mountaineering & ultra-running community, Cheruiyot was simply not human. As many chose to instead celebrate his life, few experienced the gaping void that his departure left more than his close mountaineering and ultra-running friend James Muhia.
Together, they had achieved fetes that many can only dream of in both worlds. Their highest in mountaineering, (which they had hoped to top with the Everest summit) was In September 2023 when they became the first Africans to climb the eighth-highest mountain in the world, Mount Manaslu-without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support. In ultra-running, they undertook multiple speed climbs of Mt. Kilimanjaro, including completing an ascent and descent in just 15 hours. They also set course records on the three main routes of Mount Kenya, participating in over 20 ascents.
Left to elevate the sport, James Muhia, Limo Kipkemoi and Freeman Wang’oe are among the top ultra runners who continue to bolster Cheruiyot’s legacy and represent the continent bringing some diversity to international events.
25-year-old Peter Wambugu has emerged as one of the most promising ultra-runners.
In February 2022, Muhia, Kipkemoi and Wang’oe undertook a daring quest; summiting the East African region’s five highest mountains. They did it in just one week.
Their most recent extreme adventure was in June this year. The trio travelled to India for the Great Malwa Ghaati Ultra where they attempted the 161 km trail whose total elevation gain went up to 8500M. They had just 48 hours to complete the race.
Besides the three, many other adventure seekers have also endeared themselves to the extreme sport. Take Wingkei Chan whose superhuman endurance birthed the Ultrarunning in Nairobi (UIN) club.
Together with other UIN luminaries, Chan has organised and participated in such crazy ultras as a 100 KM run of all bypasses in Nairobi and its environs, a run around Lake Naivasha dubbed CircumLakeNaivasha Reloaded in 2019 (74km), the Nairobi to Moshi Nai-Moshi 360Km run in 2020 and a 450km run around Mt. Kenya dubbed CircumMountKenya in 2021.
Also joining this list is Victor Kamau Miring’u whose ultra-running fetes include a 100Km run (which he did to mark his 40th birthday in 2018), Two Oceans (56km) and Comrades marathons (90 km) in South Africa, Tor de Geant (330K) in Italy as well as the revered Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (UTMB) 174K race.
The extreme sport has also attracted several ladies whose spirit of adventure, level of strength and endurance and whose thirst for more is equally as unsatiable. Katara Wawa, Kayuney Eunice, Linda Omondi, Claire Baker, Judy Nyaruai, Lucy Kinyae, Anita Kathono, Grace Kinyua, Faith Maina, Lotte Njuguna and Dolly Atati are some of the ladies dominating.
From Ultra runs to Ultra marathons
Ultra marathons and runs have now become mainstays in the Kenyan runners’ calendar. Many have been participating in various running events 50 kilometres and longer. This year alone, an estimated 30 Kenyans took part in the Two Oceans and Comrades marathons. They include, Mwikali Ndunda, Sian Saitonik, Eve Mwendwa, Anika Berlin, Felister Kagwanja, Angela Lebu and Rachel Gitonga.
Yet, with just a membership of only about 400 runners according to the Facebook group, the ultra-running community in Kenya is relatively small. Despite the small numbers, ultrarunning has been thriving particularly in Nairobi where the number of recreational runners participating in each of their successive ultra-running events has been building up at a phenomenal rate.
The Mt Kenya Ultra Marathon organised by the Urban Swaras Running Club is one of the Country’s oldest ultra races.
Local events to serve those transitioning from normal runs to ultras are now abound.
The Mountain to Mountain Ultra Marathon also known as the Mt. Kenya ultra marathon is considered to be one of the oldest. Organised every year since 2015 by the Urban Swaras Running Club, this is an 80Km ultra whose trail starts in the Mt. Kenya forest and ends on the Aberdare Ranges. This year’s edition organised jointly with the Nyeri County Government and the Mt. Kenya Blazers will be happening on 21st September.
The Ultra MARAthon – a 50km single-day foot race through the conservancies of the northern Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya which began in 2020.
The Nairobi Backyard Ultra. This is the local Kenyan chapter of now globally practised Backyard Ultras– an invention of Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell. In March this year, Ultra Runners Kenya held the 4th edition of the Nairobi Backyard Ultramarathon in Ruiru, Kiambu. With over 300 participants, 25-year-old Peter Wambugu won after running the loop 28 times to cover a distance of 188.16 km. Wambugu together with the top 15 who each covered over 100Kms will be competing in the global ultra marathon championships in October.
Other events worth mentioning which, given time, the organisers hope to transition into ultra marathons include The Kericho Ultra Run, the Voi Ultra Run and the Chalbi Desert Ultra and Festival.