This year’s Dusk 2 Dawn event fell on International Women’s Day. KP Wellness collaborated with Bucketlist Adventure to mark the day by celebrating active women
Night running, a practice considered a part of Kenyan folklore, is a cultural phenomenon common across various regions of the country, particularly in the Western. Night Runners, sometimes believed to be possessed by supernatural entities, are beings whose nocturnal activities, which go beyond running, are shrouded in secrecy.
For the last three years now, night running has taken on a new meaning in Nairobi. No longer a superstitious-ridden reserve of the rural folk, the capital now boasts a 12-hour night run challenge festival: Dusk 2 Dawn.
While, like its folklore progenitor, the event, held annually at the Parklands Sports Club, involves running at night, for the Nairobi folk, it’s a night-long running challenge around a 500-metre track that is slowly becoming an annual cultural phenomenon among Kenyan recreational runners. This new breed of Nairobi night runners equally appears to be possessed by supernatural powers. Every year, the sound of 200 pairs of feet can be heard softly pounding as they go round and round the black running track. And as the hours to dawn slowly count down, the pairs of feet start dwindling way into the night, leaving less than a handful of sleep-deprived bodies shuffling one foot in front of the other in an unyielding battle between body and mind.
In this ultimate test of endurance, some break the pain and vertigo barrier into a trance-like state that can last anywhere between 5 hours- the average full marathon time- up to 12 hours with brief stops to hydrate, fuel or rush to the bathroom. That is equivalent to between 84 loops (full marathon ) to 230 loops.
For Congolese Ultra marathoner Msafiri Francois and Kenya’s fitness enthusiast, Eva, the winners in the male and female categories at this year’s edition, that trance-like state not only lasted 12 hours, it outlasted everyone else’s. Francois finished at 115.5 km, Eva at, 101Km.
Created in 2023 by Ultra Runners in Kenya, a club that specializes in runs beyond the typical marathon distance of 42 km and co-organized by Bucketlist Adventures, Dusk 2 Dawn brings together walkers and runners in a night of fun, running and music. This year’s turnout was the largest yet, noted Moreen Wamucii, Key Accounts Maestro at Bucketlist Adventures. “This year’s edition of Dusk 2 Dawn saw significant growth in attendance. The turnout was larger, with a diverse mix of seasoned runners, adventure seekers, and first-time participants eager to take on the challenge,” she said during our phone interview a few days later.
Unlike last year’s edition, where only 157 turned up, this year saw 442 participants and over 300 spectators as the world marked International Women’s Day. For Thomas Kinuthia, a runner and an Operational Risk Management professional, this year’s edition was his first-ever attempt at a full marathon.
I had only the mind to run the whole night but not the “undoable” full Marathon.“Many hours later, I couldn’t help but keep the focus to cross the line of a full Marathon.” his response when I asked him if he had gone for the event with this goal set.
What was going through his mind as he looped that track 84 times, I asked him.
Yes, a lot of conversations were going on in my head, limps, and everything else. Yet again, I needed to redefine the limits I’ve set in my life before and go higher or above! So I believed! And I did it!
The longest distance Kinuthia had covered before this was 28 kilometres at last year’s edition.
Addressing Cultural Perceptions of Night Running
Winners female – Dusk 2 dawn 4
Every year when the event is publicized, runners in WhatsApp groups throw all manner of jabs.
How do you call it night running with clothes on? posed Zoezi Maisha, a fitness coach and runner in one of the groups. “Typically, night runners run naked. Utamu wa mbio ya usiku ni uchi/uji😂” ( trs. the beauty of running at night is running naked
I asked Wamucii if the ghosts of how night running is perceived by most Kenyans haunt their organising efforts and how they rid themselves off the disturbing cultural associations.
We are fully aware of the cultural associations surrounding night running in Kenya. She said, “While folklore has traditionally linked it to mysticism, Dusk 2 Dawn redefines it as an empowering, community-driven, and exhilarating experience.
And the idea of running naked?
The idea of running naked, while seemingly humorous to some, is not aligned with our vision for the event.
She felt that, while Bucketlist respects cultural narratives, Dusk 2 Dawn is focused on showcasing night running as a positive, inclusive, and adventurous sporting activity. Their goal: to shift the narrative and turn night running into a celebrated fitness challenge rather than a misunderstood tradition.
Growth in Recreational Running
Winners male – Dusk 2 dawn 4
Not much is known of Kenya’s vibrant and fast-growing running community beyond the niche spaces these runners occupy.
In the last 10 years alone, the growth of a diverse community of recreational runners, joggers, and walkers who, despite lurking in the long shadow cast by elite legends, have found their meaning in the sport has been phenomenal. In the last 5 years alone, what was once a nondescript gathering of middle-class Nairobians has exploded in numbers, inclusivity, geographical coverage, variety and ambition.
There are approximately 1,500 recreational runners in Kenya. “ Joyce Nduku, an avid marathon runner popularly known as Tata the marathon granny told me in a past interview. “ While this is still a relatively low number compared to South Africa, the US, parts of Europe and even Asia, we are seeing some tremendous growth.
The growth in recreational running can be attributed to increased consciousness among Kenyans of the importance of physical activity as a preventive measure against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, and social media trends such as the current craze of step challenges. In February this year, many Kenyans shifted to ‘Step-up’, a popular step-based exercise routine that anyone with the app can join, set their daily step goal, track their progress and join a leaderboard to compete with their friends once they synchronise their app with their Facebook profiles.
While the steps challenge, whose leader board ranks the members of the group according to their daily, weekly, and monthly steps, is miles away from the running challenge, it has created friendly competition while encouraging healthy living. More people are embracing walking and eventually, running as an accessible, community-driven way to stay active. Events like Dusk 2 Dawn, which also catered to those who preferred walking, provide a unique platform for individuals to challenge themselves in a dynamic and supportive environment.
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