Kenya’s Running Boom: U.S. Scholarships Deliver Stars — But Who Keeps the Gains?

For decades, Kenya’s athletes have turned rough village paths into global podiums. But in recent years, a new route has opened — through American college scholarships. These deals have changed lives, launched careers, and reshaped Kenya’s athletic map.
Reports show that between 2023 and 2025 Townhall Athletics, a non-profit sports organization, has helped over 130 Kenyan students secure sports scholarships in the United States. Yet as more young talents head west, one question grows louder: are we gaining or slowly losing our best?
A path that changed lives
For many young Kenyans, a call from a U.S. university is nothing short of a miracle. It offers what few local systems can: world-class training facilities, professional coaching, balanced nutrition, and a degree to fall back on. In short, a future both on and off the track.
And the results show. At the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Kenyans stole the spotlight. Pamela Kosgei won both the 5,000m and 10,000m, Doris Lemngole smashed the steeplechase record, and Winny Bii became the first Kenyan ever to win the NCAA triple jump title. Brian Musau also made history by clinching the NCAA Outdoor 5,000m crown, adding to his Indoor crown over the distance — another first for his school.
The dominance isn’t accidental. According to athletics recruiter Scholarbook, the number of Kenyans heading to the U.S. on full scholarships has surged sharply. Over 70 Kenyan athletes secured full college scholarships in 2024 alone, with at least 20–25 recruits joining every year through programs like Scholarbook. Local trials, like those held at Kipchoge Stadium in Eldoret, have become talent goldmines — one event in late 2025 produced 14 scholarship winners from more than 300 hopefuls.
From college tracks to global stages
The U.S. system has become the perfect springboard. NCAA competition sharpens runners under intense conditions — weekly races, high-altitude camps, and tight academic schedules. Many emerge not just as athletes, but professionals ready for the world stage.
One athlete that is reaping the fruits of the U.S. scholarship programme is Dorcas Ewoi. Born in Kitale, Kenya, Ewoi moved to the U.S. in 2019 to join South Plains College in Texas, where she ran for the Lady Texans. She wasted no time in making an impact, winning the NJCAA indoor mile championship in 2019 and repeating the feat in 2020 before COVID-19 shut down college sports.
Faith Kipyegon (L) and Dorcas Ewoi celebrate after leading a Kenyan 1-2 in the 1,500m semifinals at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships/ Photo Team Kenya (x)

After transferring to Campbell University, she took on NCAA Division I competition, where the level of intensity pushed her to become even better. She qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2022 and 2023, placing fifth in the 800m final in Austin with a strong 2:02.13 finish.
In 2024, she signed with Puma Elite Running, marking her transition to the professional athletics scene. Almost immediately, she began to lower her personal bests, dropping her 800m time to a blazing 1:58.19 by July. Her most notable breakthrough came when she stunned Olympic champion Athing Mu at the Holloway Pro Classic, an upset that signaled she was ready to compete with the world’s best. That same year, she also captured the Penn Relays Olympic Development 800m title, further cementing her status as a rising star.
Her biggest breakthrough came at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she made her world championship debut in the 1500m. Running a personal best of 3:54.92, Ewoi-a degree holder in Biology from Campbell University- claimed the silver medal, finishing just behind Faith Kipyegon in a memorable Kenyan 1-2 sweep. This achievement not only established her as one of Kenya’s rising stars but also signaled the arrival of a new force in global middle-distance running.
The other side of the medal
But while the scholarships have opened doors, they’ve also opened wounds. Every time a top junior leaves, local competitions lose quality, fans lose heroes, and our development pipeline weakens. Coaches have fewer stars to nurture, and young runners lose mentors they can watch closely.
Some athletes also struggle abroad — adjusting to life in a foreign culture, keeping up with academics, or dealing with homesickness. A few never complete their degrees, while others end up competing for other countries or staying abroad permanently.
Veteran coach Brother Colm O’Connell — who has guided many of Kenya’s greats — often warns that while the exposure is good, “we cannot outsource our future.” He believes Kenya must learn to build similar systems at home instead of relying entirely on foreign setups.
Short-term gains, long-term worries
In the short term, the benefits are clear: better training, financial relief, and academic opportunity. But in the long term, Kenya risks becoming a supplier of raw talent — producing world-class athletes without building world-class systems.
If the scholarships are treated as a one-way escape, we lose more than we gain. But if turned into partnerships — where athletes come back, share knowledge, or even mentor new talent — they could become the foundation of a stronger athletic future.
What Kenya can learn
First, we must treat education and sport as one, not two separate paths. Athletes heading abroad should be prepared academically and mentally so that the dream doesn’t turn into struggle.
Second, Kenya needs to regulate the recruitment process. Many young runners are approached by agents who care more about commissions than careers. Clear rules, transparency, and athlete protection will make the system fairer.
Third, create incentives for athletes to return — coaching roles, sports science fellowships, or youth mentorship programs. Those who train abroad gain knowledge that can transform our local structures — if we give them a reason to bring it back.
Finally, invest in facilities and support systems. If Kenya can match even half of what U.S. colleges offer, fewer athletes would have to leave in search of better training environments.
The bigger picture
American scholarships have lifted hundreds of Kenyan lives — and brought medals, records, and pride. But the challenge now is balance. Kenya must find a way to keep benefiting from this global opportunity without losing its local heartbeat.
Because in the end, the goal isn’t just to produce stars abroad. It’s to build a system strong enough that one day, the world will come to train here — not the other way around.