When dreams are bigger than finish line: Inside story of budding athletes in Mt Elgon

A little-known athletics camp gives young runners a chance to develop their talent, compete beyond their home turf, and pursue opportunities they might never have imagined. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

Morning mist still hung over Mount Elgon’s moorlands as pounding feet filled the air, breaking Laboot's quiet.

A group of young athletes was already training, braving the early-morning mountain cold as they crossed the damp grass.

Located in the heart of Chepkitale, an 80,000-acre ancestral territory of the Ogiek indigenous community, a little-known athletics camp gives young runners a chance to develop their talent, compete beyond their home turf, and pursue opportunities they might never have imagined.

Among them is seven-year-old Aaron Kibet, a Grade 3 pupil at Laboot Primary School, running alongside athletes much older than him, but his age hasn’t stopped him from catching his coach’s attention.

“You see that young boy; he is the youngest athlete in the camp. He is seven years old. It is encouraging to identify talent at such a young age “, says Crispin Kwemoi, the Chepkitale Athletics Nurturing Camp coach, who also doubles up as an English teacher at Laboot Primary School.

According to the coach, Aaron has already competed in primary school athletics up to sub-county level.

“Many of us only discover our talents much later in life, but for children like Aaron, we have an opportunity to nurture them as early as now; guide him; he also has older runners whom he can learn from”, Crispin added.

Aaron’s story reflects a wider ambition taking shape in Chepkitale: to give children the opportunity to develop their athletic abilities, pursue education, and discover how far their talent can take them.

For Peter Kitelo, the chairperson of the Laboot Primary School Board of Management, the journey towards establishing the camp began with a question: why were children from Chepkitale missing out on athletics competitions in the county?

During the annual Mountain Half Marathon held in Kapsokwony, Kitelo said the community was concerned after noticing that, for two consecutive years, no athletes from Chepkitale had participated.

A little-known athletics camp gives young runners a chance to develop their talent, compete beyond their home turf, and pursue opportunities they might never have imagined. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

“We knew we had good athletes. Traditionally, community members here have been naturally good at running, especially in long distance, so we asked ourselves how come they are not able to participate in these events”, recalls Kitelo, who is also the executive director of Chepkitale indigenous people’s development project.

Informal activities began around June 2023 before the camp was formally launched in August 2024. It started with 10 athletes and now boasts over 35 regular trainees.

Two years down the line, their efforts have started to bear fruit; some athletes have competed in major national sports competitions, while others have secured educational scholarships through their sporting achievements.

“This goes in line with the new education curriculum, the competency-based education (CBC), which recognises that children have different abilities and talents that deserve development opportunities, and that’s exactly what the camp is doing by allowing our children,” said Janet Chemtai, a mother and community representative.

Teachers at Laboot Primary School have been central to the effort. Some coach athletes alongside teaching, while the school provides the grounds where the children train.

Girls from the majority at the camp accounted for 22 of its 35 regular athletes, with the remaining 13 being boys, with ages ranging from seven to 22.

“We are encouraging more girls to participate; they say, when you allow a girl child, the entire community benefits, so we really encourage more girls, not that we are leaving behind the boy child,” Crispin said.

Training usually runs from 7am to 8am and 5pm to 6pm during weekdays, allowing pupils to exercise before classes. Saturdays and Sundays are set aside for longer runs, usually between 10 and 15 kilometres and sometimes 20 kilometres. The program also includes easy runs, hill work, sprints and fitness exercises.

“Here we focus mainly on long races like cross-country, 10,000m, 5000m and 3,000m, but we also have athletes good in short races, and we don’t sideline them, like currently we have one of our girls who is very good in sprints. She is at Riruta Girls in Nairobi,” Crispin said.

Training usually runs from 7am to 8am and 5pm to 6pm during weekdays. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

They aim to ensure that the children develop their sporting abilities without neglecting their education.

“Most of our athletes who transitioned to senior schools joined schools that have established athletics programs, and that enables them to advance their training, and when they return for holidays, they join their teammates here,” the coach said.

At approximately 3,300m above sea level, Chepkitale has a high-altitude setting that the camp organisers believe is the best for endurance training.

“I believe this is one of the best high-altitude training areas in Kenya that has not yet been fully discovered, and I would encourage the government and even Athletics Kenya (AK) to pay a visit. I believe this is an area that can produce the greatest athletes,” Crispin said.

On his side, Kitelo believes that with better facilities, qualified coaching, and a more structured programme, Chepkitale could attract more runners, even from beyond the country.

For them, Uganda offers a useful point of comparison: the Teryet National High Altitude Training Centre, one of the facilities which has churned out athletes who have given Kenyan athletes a run for their money in global competitions such as Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, is located just across the border within the same Mt Elgon ecosystem as an example of the potential of high-altitude training.

Mt Elgon has a rich athletics heritage, having produced runners who have excelled on the international stage. Among them is Ben Jipcho, who won Olympic silver in the 3000m steeplechase at the 1972 Munich Games before claiming two Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1974.

Training usually runs from 7am to 8am and 5pm to 6pm during weekdays. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

The mountain has also produced Aaron Cheminingwa, an African Games 800m champion, and 2024 Paris Olympics 5000m silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi, among others.

“Mount Elgon is not new in the athletics arena; we have prominent and legendary athletes both from the Kenyan and Ugandan sides of Mt Elgon. We believe that one day Kenya will recognise the potential within the Ogiek community here also,” said coach Geoffrey.

Kiteleo believes Chepkitale could become a suitable place where national team athletes could prepare before major competitions.

“Some AK officials told me that once the camp is fully registered and meets the required standard, they could even bring the national team here for training,” he said.

For now, that remains a possibility, not a confirmed plan. The children continue to train on school grounds and nearby routes, utilising the little resources available to them.

Many of these athletes have already started making their mark in school and other competitions, such as Mercy Cherotich, a Grade Nine pupil who specialises in 1500m, cross country and mixed relay.

At the 2025 AK series at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, she finished eighth in 1500m.

“I started training when I was in Grade seven. I have managed to compete in several school and other competitions,” said Cherotich, who says she looks up to world record holder Faith Kipyegon and hopes to follow in her footsteps.

“I want to succeed in athletics so that I can help my family and community here,” she added.

Emmanuel Kiprop, a Grade Seven pupil, competes in the 3,000m, 1,500m, and cross-country. This year, during the regional school competition in Eregi, Vihiga County, he finished seventh in 3,000m despite being unwell.

“I performed poorly because I wasn’t feeling well. Some who beat me said I had defeated them at the sub-county level. I believe I will perform better next year and finish at the top. I want to represent my country in the future and break records,” Kiprop said.

One of the biggest moments for the camp came when Thomas Belet travelled to Belgium for the World Athletics XContinental Tour. According to Crispin, Belet finished third in the 5000m and served as a pacemaker in the 3000m.

“My proudest moment was seeing my athletes competing at an international level, including the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, and seeing Thomas Belet go to Belgium. That feeling of stepping into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was something special,” Crispin said.

The experience has encouraged others in the camp. Mercy says watching a teammate travel abroad has made international competition more possible.

For some athletes, progress on the track has opened doors.

Training usually runs from 7am to 8am and 5pm to 6pm during weekdays. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard]

They include Ann Chekwemoi and Brenda Chepchumba, who are in Form Three at Moi Girls Kaptama, while Rael Chekwemoi, Abigael Chelangat, Ann Chemos and Dorcas Chemtai are in Grade 10 at St Stephen Laikipia.

“Education is very expensive, so these scholarships have really helped. Parents here have started to see the value of athletics, and the number of children interested in joining the camp continues to increase,” said Geofrey Kiprotich, a coach and a parent at the camp.

For the coaches here, not every runner will reach the elite level, but schooling gives them another path, while those who excel in sport have the opportunity to continue pursuing their ambitions.

Even with all these growing ambitions, shortages of basic training resources threaten to derail dreams of these young runners.

“One of our biggest problems is footwear. The majority of these athletes do not have running shoes. We believe that if we can get support to provide them with necessary equipment, they will perform even better,” Crispin said.

The athletes also need sports kit and warm clothing to brave the cold mountain mornings. Food and transport to competitions are other pressing needs.

“The children are not residential; they go home after training, but at least they need food. It is challenging to train without food. This remains a challenge, but we are working in it together with their parents,” said Kitelo.

He said there is also a need for parents to take a more active role in guiding the children, particularly as they balance training, school, and their responsibilities at home.

“We need parents to provide moral support, guide them on behaviours and other aspects of life,” said Kitelo.

The camp is currently pursuing formal registration with AK, with Kitelo estimating that about 90 per cent of the requirements have been met.

He hopes that registration will help strengthen the programme and attract more support.

Chepkitale Athletics camp started in 2023 and launched in 2024. The camp has 35 regular athletes, with 22 being girls. 

The camp is located in the ancestral homeland of the indigenous Ogiek community at Chepkitale in the moorlands of Mount Elgon, approximately 3,300m above sea level.

At least 8 athletes have earned themselves educational scholarships at various schools.

“I believe this is one of the best high-altitude training areas in Kenya that has not yet been fully discovered, and I would encourage the government and even Athletics Kenya (AK) to pay a visit. I believe this is an area that can produce the greatest athletes.”

Crispin Kwemoi, Chepkitale Athletics Nurturing Camp coach